Last year, during Black History Month, some of my fellow teachers and I decided to bring some fun energy to our celebrations through a door decorating contest. 

As a language arts teacher, I wanted the door project to reflect dual purposes: honoring Black history while also tying in literacy. I designed a door that featured a large book and a student reading, surrounded by images of influential Black Americans and above quotes that emphasized the power of reading and education. My students brought the design to life. They traced the face, rolled construction paper into curls for the hair and wrote inspirational quotes on the sidewalk outside our classroom using chalk. I also incorporated Kente cloth as part of the background.

We teachers all have a lot on our plates, but I feel it’s crucial to prioritize affirmation of student identity. Hopefully, we’re already building on year-round efforts to center Black stories, and adding these additional activities can have a big impact on all students since the stories we share and focus on communicating our values. Making sure Black history is elevated and celebrated this month and all year long requires being intentional – but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

I found that planning ahead was the key to making the project feel integrated into our days. At my school, language arts classes are a block period, so I had the flexibility to use some class time for this project. If you have shorter periods, you could focus on simpler designs and assign different tasks to small groups of students to make it more manageable. You might find that an activity like this requires a little extra time outside of class to come together, but the engagement and creativity from students make it worth it.

The most rewarding part was seeing how the project sparked genuine curiosity. Students started asking about the leaders whose pictures were featured, and some began exploring books from my classroom library about notable Black Americans. They loved the hands-on nature of the project, combined with the opportunity to move around and collaborate with peers. Through this project, my students helped create a stronger class culture and deepened connections with one another.