Doing Black History Month the Right Way

Every February, many homeschool parents feel pressure to “cover” Black History Month. That pressure often turns into worksheets, timelines, and a short list of famous names. But for young children, especially children with ADHD, memorizing facts without context does very little. It can even create confusion, fear, or shame.

At The Revolution Learning Lab, we believe Black History Month should help children understand systems, power, and humanity, not just names and dates.

Black history is not trivia.
It is a story about how rules were made, who they benefited, and how people responded.

For early elementary learners, the most effective approach starts with big ideas, not timelines.

Young children are natural justice-seekers. They notice when something feels unfair long before they can explain why. Children with ADHD and other neurodivergences are especially skilled at spotting patterns, including patterns in how rules affect different people.

Black History Month offers a meaningful opportunity to introduce the concepts of systems and equity while helping children explore their own values around fairness, kindness, and community.

They notice fairness long before they understand politics.

Children with ADHD, in particular, need:

• context before details

• meaning before memorization

• patterns before people

That is why Black History Month works best when it is organized around core concepts, explored slowly and intentionally.

The goal:
Help children understand that race is an idea people created—not a measure of worth, intelligence, or ability.

Before children can understand slavery or segregation, they need this truth:

People came first. Race came later.

This week separates difference from hierarchy.

How to introduce this at home:

Explain that people naturally come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and that rules about how the categories are grouped, ie, race,  were made by people, not by nature.

Gentle ways to explore:

• Check out this episode on Sesame Street, Wondering About Skin Color.

• Check out this PBS KIDS Talk About | Race, Racism & Identity | PBS KIDS

Activity: Same Inside, Different Outside

Purpose:
Help children understand that people can look different on the outside while being the same in important ways on the inside.

Materials

• Paper

• Crayons or markers

How to Do It

1. Draw two large outlines of people (stick figures are fine).

2. Have your child decorate the outside of each person differently
   (skin shade, hair style, clothing, height).

4. Inside each outline, help your child draw or name the same things, such as:

5. feelings

   • thoughts

   • dreams

   • need for love

   • need for safety

(You can write the words if your child dictates.)

What to Say While You Work

“People can look different on the outside.
But inside, people have the same needs and feelings.”

Reflection Question

• “What do both people need to feel okay?”

Optional Sentence

• “On the inside, people are the same.”

Key takeaway for kids: Everyone is inherently deserving of dignity, respect and fairness.

Starting Black History Month by talking about race as a social construct helps children build understanding before confusion. When children learn that people come first—and that race was an idea created later—they are better able to notice differences without attaching hierarchy or value to it. These early conversations lay the foundation for fairness, empathy, and curiosity as children begin learning about history and systems in the weeks ahead.

Next week, we’ll explore how systems were built and enforced, and why rules about race had such powerful effects on people’s lives.