As part of his annual Black History Month partnership with Education Week Opinion, guest editor LaGarrett J. King conducted interviews with educators to learn more about their love of Black history, to better understand how they came to enjoy learning about the subject, and to inspire others looking to deepen their own education on the topic. This is the first interview in a three-part series.
Black history is everybody’s history, says Valencia Abbott, a social studies and history teacher at Rockingham Early College High School in Wentworth, N.C. Here, Abbott discusses the importance of teaching to the demographics of the class and enabling students to see their reflection in what’s being taught while aligning to the curriculum and standards. She also has advice and resources for educators looking to incorporate more Black history into their instruction.
