For this Black History Month, Noah sits down with fellow Instructional Supervisor Elijah Thomas to discuss approaches to centering Black History in the music classroom this month and every month. Their insightful conversation explores the role that music education has in shaping culture and its ability to inspire innovative ways for students to understand and respond to the truth of our country's history. A number of influential teaching and community-building resources are highlighted in the discussion as well, listed below.

Resources discussed:

Books:

• For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood, Chris Emdin
• We Want to Do More Than Survive, Bettina Love
• Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Jeff Chang
• Total Chaos, Jeff Chang
• Hip Hop Genius, Sam Seidel

Networks and other resources:

• Justice Choir Songbook: https://www.justicechoir.org/songbook/
• DTMR: https://www.decolonizingthemusicroom.com/
• Abolitionist Teaching Network: https://abolitionistteachingnetwork.org/
  • Resource for Use: Guide for Racial Justice and Abolitionist Social and Emotional Learning
• Poor People’s Campaign – A National Call for Moral Revival: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/arts-culture/we-rise-a-movement-songbook/
  • Resource for Use: We Rise – A Movement Songbook
• Teaching for Change: https://www.teachingforchange.org/
  • Resource for Use: https://socialjusticebooks.org/

Transition music:

• “Black Enough”, by Somi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ks5Xj_vz2M
• “Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)”, performed by Ledisi and the Robert Glasper Experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6Bz5HVbbgg
• “There’s A New World Coming”, performed by Bernice Johnson Reagon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOhdWCn0Gwk
• “Common Person”, by Burna Boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0SREUni2V8
• “Open Our Eyes”, by Earth, Wind and Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjp5-scAtYA