In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm passionate about Black History Month.

I did not enjoy learning about Black history growing up. It felt more like grieving than celebrating for me, and because of that it's my dream to make Black History Month a positive experience for ALL children and students.

So today, as part of that, I'm talking about 3 mistakes parents and teachers should avoid when talking to kids and students about Black History:

1. Don't say "because they were Black." It's time to put the onus on racism.

2. Don't refer to Black people as "non-white." This makes it seem as if being white is the "norm." Just use the correct identifiers and describe people for what they ARE instead of what they aren't.

3. Don't only focus on struggle. When we do this, it doesn't just harm Black students. It harms ALL students. And this is why I created Bite-Sized Black History, to be able to celebrate all the joyful things about being Black.

And y'all know me, I would never give you 3 things NOT to do without also giving you lots of things to DO, so press play on the episode to learn more about these three don'ts and to get ideas for some actionable steps for making Black History Month a meaningful celebration.

Bite-Sized Black History

Bite-Sized Black History is a collection of mini-podcast episodes that empower you to teach kiddos about brilliant Black Americans who have been largely overlooked by our history books. You know about Dr. King and Rosa Parks — now it's time to explore other Black leaders and learn from their stories!

I just released 12 new episodes as part of Bite-Sized Black History Season 4 — bringing the total number of episodes in the library up to 40! The catalog includes activists, inventors, scientists, entertainers, artists and more, and each episode comes with an accompanying coloring page and reflection questions to help you have meaningful conversations with the kiddos in your life.

From now until the end of February, you can use the code BSBH29 for 29% off any Bite-Sized Black History package — 29% in honor of leap year giving us an extra day to celebrate Black History Month.

Head over to firstnamebasis.org/blackhistory to learn more and to have a meaningful Black History Month by getting your copy of Bite-Sized Black History today.

Invite Jasmine to work with your school!

Are you a parent or teacher who wants to help your school turn good intentions into positive action by making anti-racist education a priority? First Name Basis is here to help!

Jasmine Bradshaw, the host and founder of the First Name Basis Podcast, is an anti-racist educator and former second-grade teacher who has a passion for helping schools make real change. From providing professional development for teachers to curriculum consulting to implementing her unique anti-racist resources, Jasmine is your go-to anti-bias and anti-racist education resource.

Email [email protected] or visit firstnamebasis.org/workwithme for more information!

Articles, Studies & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode

"Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves," by Julie Olsen Edwards and Louise Derman-Sparks

Song Credit: "Clapping Music" by BrightestAvenue and "Sunshine" by lemonmusicstudio