Giving Compass' Take:

• As current events bring renewed attention to racial inequity, more resources are available for classrooms to highlight lessons on Juneteenth.

• How can schools enhance Black history curricula across school districts? 

• Read more about the history of Juneteenth. 

Though Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday or day of observance in all but three states, the history of the Juneteenth Independence Day, also known as Emancipation Day, is not taught in most schools, according to School Library Journal. The publication’s Twitter poll indicates 90% of respondents who work in schools do not teach students about the holiday. The holiday originated in Texas and is recognized with parades, parties featuring red foods, such as red velvet cake, as well as music and the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. Among organizations hosting online celebrations this year are the D.C. Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library and the Juneteenth Music Festival, hosted by DJ Jazzy Jeff.

As educators plan lessons for the next academic year or lead virtual summer enrichment classes, a variety of resources on the holiday are available through Juneteenth.com, as well as ReadWriteThink, Teaching Tolerance and Libguides, School Library Journal reports.

As current events bring renewed attention to racial inequity, the organization Black Lives Matter at School provides curriculum resources to help educators dig deeper and provide students more context in Black history beyond just covering slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. Among the available resources is a starter kit, as well as teaching activities and lesson plans for all grades.

David Trowbridge, director of African and African-American Studies at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, believes educators should use relevant, local history as a way to appeal to students. Teaching students about relatable historical characters and relevant content gives history more meaning so students should research and uncover their own data, he said. He also suggests using walking tours to bring the past to life.

Read the full article about lack of Black history education by Shawna De La Rosa at Education Dive.