Black History Month (February)

Alexandre Dumas is best known for his numerous historical novels of high adventure which have made him the most widely read French author in the world.

This PBS Learning video discusses Martin Luther King Jr. Day, teaches about the influential leader of the civil rights movement and why he is honored with a special day.

A brief article that explains the court case involving Cassius Clay (aka Muhammad Ali) refusal to serve in the Vietnam War.

A brief biography of Desmond Tutu, an Anglican bishop, civil rights activist and anti-apartheid activist from South Africa

A short biography of Gaspar Yanga, a slave in Mexico who led a successful rebellion against Spain and established a free Black community.

Unknown to many, Bayard Rustin was the heart and soul of the civil rights movement in the United States. As Martin Luther King Jr.’s chief organizer, he helped translate the philosophy of nonviolence into direct action by organizing the 1963 March on Washington. So why isn’t he more famous?

Surya Bonaly was a world champion figure skater from France who remains the only skater to land a on backflip on one blade.

From the official Jackie Robinson website, here is a biography of the first black man to play Major League Baseball.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project is a major research effort to assemble and disseminate historical information concerning Martin Luther King, Jr. and the social movements in which he participated

Most known for his nonviolent philosophy and peaceful protest approach, students are often introduced to King in these bite-sized moments. When we only learn about one phase or achievement of a person’s life it leaves us with an incomplete picture. This site offers students information about the later campaigns that Dr. King was involved with.

CNN has 31 slides that highlight the life of Nelson Mandela, some fast facts about his personal and political life, as well as related articles.

This website is a collection of digitized material, including images and video, about Nelson Mandela, including his early life and Presidential years.

In this video, you will learn about the amazing life of Thomas Alexander Dumas who was a general in Revolutionary France.

This TED lesson takes a look at Martin Luther King, Jr.'s pivotal speech "I have a dream".

In the 1960s, the FBI amassed almost 2,000 documents about writer named James Baldwin, one of the best-selling Black authors in the world at the time. What made him loom so large in the imaginations of both the public and the authorities?

In 1830, David Walker sewed a pamphlet he had written into the lining of a coat. The volume was thin enough to be hidden, but its content was far from insubstantial. At the time, many members of the US government considered this pamphlet to be one of the most dangerous documents in American history.

Born in 1731, poor and without a formal education, Benjamin Banneker was obsessed with math and science. He taught himself astronomy, mathematics, engineering, and the study of the natural world. Learn more about this extraordinary man.

Learn about the life of Bayard Rustin, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, a gay rights activist, and one of Martin Luther King’s closest advisors.

A biography of Toussaint Louverture, a military leader who led the Haitian revolution and established the country of Haiti. Although he was executed by the French, the revolution continued and Haiti became an independent country.