Whether you teach AP Literature, American Literature, or general high school English, February is the perfect time to elevate Black voices.
Below, you’ll find some high-quality blog posts and teaching resources from other ELA educators and education websites. I also added some lesson and resource ideas of my own. Scroll to the end for a list of my favorite short stories, poems, novels, and plays by Black authors.
One last thing, it’s important to remember that Black voices are to be taught and celebrated all year long, not just in February. Black History Month is a great opportunity to showcase some new voices, but remember the ones your students love and make them a staple for the rest of the year too!
Poetry Lessons for Black History Month
LMS Curriculum – Contemporary Poets with Free Lesson Materials
If you’re looking for new voices to infuse your curriculum but don’t have much time to plan, Brian Hannon’s LMS Curriculum is your answer. These rich and engaging lessons take the prep work out of teaching poetry. Plus, you’re showcasing new and emerging voices from the poetry world.
Teach Living Poets – Celebrate Black Poets – Poems for Black History Month and All Year Long
My friend Melissa Smith is not celebrated nearly enough for the powerful work she’s doing with Teach Living Poets. What started as a hashtag on Twitter has become a hub for finding the best new and celebrated poets. You’ll find some amazing Black artists on this site. Some of my favorites include Jericho Brown, Clint Smith, Nikki Giovanni, and Hanif Abdurraquib.
Moore English – 15 Texts for Black History Month in High School English
This is another resource roundup from Moore English with a variety of literature you can infuse into your curriculum. Her poem suggestions are especially good!
Academy of American Poets – Black History Month Lesson Plans
This collection includes ready-to-use lessons featuring poets like Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks. These are ideal for close reading, AP-style poetry analysis, and discussion of tone and imagery.
Edpuzzle – Poetry Video Lessons
If you like integrating multimedia, this post highlights video lessons featuring poets such as Amanda Gorman. Use these to model delivery and rhetorical impact before moving into written analysis.
Piqosity – 12 Poems to Celebrate Black History Month
A helpful roundup with prompts and writing ideas. These poems work well for timed writing practice and Socratic Seminars for upper level grades.
Mud & Ink Teaching – 4 Authors, Activists and Artists to Highlight During Black History Month
Amanda’s blog post, infused with engaging poetry readings and author showcases, highlights newer or often-overlooked authors to help celebrate Black History Month poetry.
Black History Month Novels & Longer Texts for High School
National Education Association – Black History Month Booklists & Classroom Resources
This resource offers curated reading lists across grade levels. For upper high school, novels like Beloved by Toni Morrison consistently appear as powerful anchor texts.
Prestwick House – Free ELA Resources for Black History Month
Prestwick’s guides can support instruction for texts like Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Color Purple, The Parable of the Sower, The Invisible Man, and more. This website also includes downloads to free posters that you can use in your classroom.
Creative & Interactive Lesson Ideas
Building Book Love – Literary Black History Activities
If you’re looking for engagement structures (gallery walks, author spotlights, interactive activities), this Ashley Bible’s website offers classroom-friendly inspiration. Every time I visit Building Book Love I leave with a new idea to try with my students!
Nearpod – Interactive Black History Month Lessons
Nearpod’s blog post offers technology-forward lessons that can supplement close reading units. This is a great spot to look if needing lower level lesson ideas for middle school or 9th grade.
Newsela – Black History Month Text Sets
This post by Newsela offers a curated text sets ideal for differentiated instruction and skill-based teaching. The text suggestions are paired with guiding questions and discussion ideas to use in class.
The Cult of Pedagogy – Four Ways Teachers Can Support Students of Color
Not a blog post, but this YouTube video offers actionable steps that teachers can take to make students of color in their room. This includes celebrating Black History and Black voices all year long, not just in February.
How to Integrate Black History Month Into Existing Units (Without Starting From Scratch)
Instead of creating a completely separate February unit, try:
- Pairing poetry from Black poets like Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Maya Angelou with American Dream units
- Teaching excerpts from powerful novels like Beloved, The Parable of the Sower, Invisible Man, and Go Tell it on the Mountain during your American Literature course
- Embedding Harlem Renaissance poetry into a broader modernism unit
- Using protest poetry for rhetorical analysis practice
- Dig up new poetry by Black artists. Check out LMS Curriculum and Teach Living Poets for the best picks!
Literature I Love
As I said before, February should not be the only time you’re teaching literature by Black authors. However, it is a great time to pause and insert some new texts and voices into the classroom. Here is a collection of my favorite novels, plays, poetry, and more to help infuse Black voices into your curriculum, in February and all year long.
Titles that are hyperlinked are included in a resource I have on TpT. Follow the link to learn more!
Novels
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- Kindred by Octavia Butler
- James by Percival Everett
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- The House of Eva by Sadeqa Johnson
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
- Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (YA)
Poetry
- “It Is Maybe Time to Admit That Michael Jordan Definitely Pushed Off” by Hanif Abdurraqib
- “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
- “The Tradition” by Jericho Brown
- “mulberry fields” by Lucille Clifton
- “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
- Anything by Nikki Giovanni
- Anything by Amanda Gorman
- “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden
- Anything by Langston Hughes
- “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa
- Counting Descent by Clint Smith (collection)
- “Dinosaurs in the Hood” by Danez Smith
- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (collection)
Short Stories
- “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe
- “The Thing Around Your Neck” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes
- “The First Day” by Edward P. Jones
- “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
- “The Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall
- “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
Plays
Nonfiction
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- March by John Lewis (multiple graphic novels)
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Misc.
- “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (TED Talk)
- The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
- Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America by Ibram X. Kendi
- “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.
- Letters from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.
If I left off an author you love, leave me a comment below so I can read it! And while this is certainly not a definitive list, reading is a lifelong skill, one I am still exercising.
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