Black History Month – Black Leader Spotlights at Impact

At Impact, we believe diversity strengthens and enlivens us. In the early 1900s, Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), dedicated to the researching and honoring the contributions and achievements of Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. His intent was to remove incorrect and negative assumptions about African Americans in society. Initially he launched this initiative as a weeklong dedication to these contributions and achievements, which was soon celebrated by schools and organizations across the country. The week was later extended to a month-long celebration, that we now know today as Black History Month.

Impact Public Schools is honored to join the annual celebration of Black History Month with a 4-week curriculum, intentionally designed for each grade level, K-5. In each grade, we’ll shine the spotlight on past and present African American individuals who have helped make our world a better place through science, math, engineering, technology, art, music, poetry, politics, advocacy, activism, and much more. 

Here’s a glance at the themes and just a few of the many leaders our scholars will be studying over the course of this month:

Kindergarten: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Katherine Johnson – NASA mathematician
Kimberly Bryant – Founder of Black Girls CODE
George Washington Carver – Agricultural scientist and inventor

1st Grade: Music

TLC – R&B and hip hop girl group
Ma Rainey – The “Mother of Blues”
Dr. Dre – Rapper and record producer

2nd Grade: Poetry

Ibram X. Kendri – Historian, poet, writer
Zora Neale Hurston – Poet, writer, anthropologist
Amanda Gorman – Youngest-ever Presidential inauguration poet

3rd Grade: Politics & Government

Kamala Harris – Current Vice President of the United States
Bruce Harrell – Current Mayor of Seattle
Shirley Chisholm – First Black woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress

4th Grade: Art

Jean-Michel Basquiat – Neo-Expressionist artist
Ava DuVernay – Award-winning filmmaker
Latoya Ruby Frazier – Social justice photographer

5th Grade: The Fight for Civil Rights

Fannie Lou Hamer – Voting and women’s rights activist
Stacey Abrams – Lawyer and voting rights activist
The Little Rock Nine – A group of scholars who challenged racial segregation

Impact Public Schools is honored to join the annual celebration of Black History Month with a 4-week curriculum, intentionally designed for each grade level, K-5. In each grade, we’ll shine the spotlight on past and present African American individuals who have helped make our world a better place through science, math, engineering, technology, art, music, poetry, politics, advocacy, activism, and much more.