Resources and Events During Black History Month

Reintroducing the New African American Education Network

We are excited to announce that the African American Education Network website has been updated and redesigned to include new resources and more information about Black history in Colorado. The Black Experience in DPS provides a timeline with important events and people from the late 1700s to modern day. 

This site is designed to provide African American students, parents and families with tools to help navigate ECE-12 education in Denver and beyond. Families can access useful links to DPS student supports and services, college and careers, scholarships, and community-based organizations that provide tutoring and other academic enrichment. Share this resource with your students and families. If you have questions, contact aaen@dpsk12.org.

DMLK Students Make Black History with ‘Know Justice Know Peace’ Resolution

The Black Student Alliance at Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Early College spent the summer working to affect change in DPS — and in the process, made Black history themselves. A visit to the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington D.C. last fall inspired the students to push for the DPS history curriculum to be more inclusive. They started by launching a podcast in June, and advocating to the Board of Education (BOE). 

Their hard work paid off on Oct. 22, 2020, when the Board of Education passed the Know Justice Know Peace Resolution, which ensures that all schools within DPS’ curriculum and professional practices include comprehensive historical and contemporary contributions of Black, Indigenous and Latino communities by the start of 2021-22 school year. These incredible students garnered national attention on the Today Show for their advocacy — watch the clip here!

Announced this month, the DMLK Know Justice, Know Peace podcast hosts have also been selected to serve on the national Young Solutionists Student Advisory Board for Black History 365: An Inclusive Account of American History (BH365), a Black History curriculum and textbook that was released on Juneteenth 2020. The student leadership group will govern student leaders in chapters around the country to help raise awareness about the issues related to Black history education and provide input about the evolution of the curriculum, which is designed to be a living, adaptable document that can be tailored to the needs of students and the community.

The BH365 curriculum is currently in use at DMLK, and students are advocating for its adoption throughout DPS. BH365 is designed to align across all subjects, so that students can benefit from a holistic approach to culturally responsive and sustaining education.

In addition to the textbook, BH365 also has a musical component. The curriculum designers worked with Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum producer and artist, Khao, who produced over 40 original songs to engage students around the content of the coursework. DMLK will be hosting a virtual listening party of the BH365 album on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. Interested individuals can join the party via Zoom by RSVPing below.