<![CDATA[Black History Month: CMA Connect]]>On February 18, 2021, we gathered to discuss and share resources about Black History Month and how you use them to craft Children’s media. The conversation was led by the amazing Ed Greene, who graciously donated his time in memory of Erica Branch-Ridley.
Ed has been a CMA member since 2014. His passion and focus is on building culturally relevant partnerships, policies, and program practices that benefit children and families in the digital age. He formerly served as VP, Children, Youth, and Digital Media Literacy Initiatives at the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN), and is currently a Senior Outreach Advisor at Wonder Why Consulting. Among his diverse experience, he was the director of global outreach for Sesame Workshop, a former elected board member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and currently serves as a trustee of the Coalition for Quality Children’s Media.
Ed Greene hosts CMA Connect.
Below please find the resources shared by members as well as some CMA has compiled. Please read through them and reference this month, and throughout the year.
Black history and American history are one and the same. We encourage everyone to spend time learning more about African American history during February and beyond.
Blackpast is an online reference center that includes an encyclopedia of more than 4,000 entries, links to major African American museums and research centers and much more.
Learn more and engage with 1619 Project, which is working to develop curricula that reframes “U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia soil as our nation’s foundational date.” Check out the curriculum resources here.
The U.S. Department of Education offers some more general guidelines for a wide range of activities for cultivating a greater appreciation of African American’s in America’s rich culture.
The Conscious Kid – an education, research, and policy organization dedicated to equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in youth. We support organizations, families, and educators in taking action to disrupt racism in young children.
Here Wee Read – Blog and IG featuring well curated books and experiences that are diverse and inclusive
Black Flag (for audiences age 14 and up) finds two new dorm-mates excited to start their freshman year together, until one decides to decorate their room with a little piece of ‘Southern pride.’ (View the short film version here).
Lorea Martinez – HEART in Mind Consulting, a company dedicated to helping schools and organizations integrate Social Emotional Learning in their practices, products, and learning communities
