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During the month of February, ��ɫ��Ƶ Boston celebrated Black History Month and the accomplishments of��Black individuals, organizations, and movements throughout American history.��For our staff, AmeriCorps members,�����ٳܻ��Գٲ�,�����Ի������������������ɫ��Ƶ Boston community, it was a month of learning, growth, and celebration.��

Celebrating Black History Month with Students��

Our teams of AmeriCorps members at Boston Public Schools commemorated Black History Month with their students through a variety of lesson plans and activities. The team��serving��at learned about��Black suffragists, like Ida B. Wells,��while the Advent International team, serving at the King K-8��School��explored past, present, and future Black leaders demonstrating excellence.����

Amplifying Black Voices from Our Community��

��ɫ��Ƶ Boston also collaborated with two Boston-based, Black-led organization��on ‘pass the mic’ Instagram takeovers. ��is��an organization that teaches��girls and young women to become critical media consumers, and ��is��the local chapter of a larger organization that promotes��community that is rooted in love and centered on Black male health and wellness through running. Both organizations��took over our Instagram account for��the day, sharing their organizations’ missions with our ��ɫ��Ƶ Boston community, giving a behind-the-scenes look at their work in the Boston community, and how to get involved. We invite you to watch the ‘Pass the Mic’ Instagram takeovers .����

On Thursday, February 25, 2021, ��ɫ��Ƶ Boston hosted��a virtual roundtable,��Representation Matters: The Power of Black Educators & Mentors.��More than 85 attendees��came together to hear Black educators and AmeriCorps members reflect on their personal experiences of representation in the classroom, discuss triumphs and challenges, and imagine ways in which the recruitment and retention of teachers of color can improve. We were thrilled to welcome��Dr. Charles Grandson, the Chief Equity & Strategy Officer at Boston Public Schools��to be a part of this important conversation along with Isabel da Rosa and Kevin Dua, two ��ɫ��Ƶ Boston alums who are also teachers. You can watch the roundtable discussion on��.��

“There’s a reason why Black educators represent the lowest percentage demographic of educators nationwide, and it’s [not] that we aren’t committed and wanting to teach, it’s because it’s a strain.” ~ Kevin Dua, History Educator, Cambridge Public Schools