Notable People in Black History – Study Cards for Matching and Trivia Game

First of all, why is February Black History Month?

We all know that Black History is American History and that notable people in Black History should be celebrated year-round.

So, why is February Black History Month? As I wrote in this article for Mom.com, Black History Month dates back to 1915. Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland wanted to recognize African-Americans and their achievements. The duo chose February to honor the birth month of Frederick Douglass. 

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Here on The Simple Homeschool Lifestyle, I want to kick off Black History Month, by highlighting one notable person each day for thirty days. Yes, I recognize there are only 28 days in the month, but we’re starting a bit early to make up for it. 

Each day, we’ll have a new notable person in Black History with a video or small blurb and a corresponding chapter book or picture book. Be sure to check back daily throughout the month to learn more about each person. In the meantime, download the Notable People in Black History Trivia/Memory Cards to include it as part of your Black History unit. 

Click Here to get the Notable People in Black History

 Trivia/Memory Cards

Black History Month Day One:  Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe won three Gland Slam Titles and broke racial barriers. He won the US Open and Wimbledon. Ashe was also the first Black male to be selected for the United States Davis Cup Team.

Arthur Ashe was born in Richmond, Virginia who grew up loving the game of tennis. Unfortunately, in the 1940s, he was unable to play on most tennis courts because he was black. Arthur however, went on to become one of the top-ranked players in the world.

Learn more about Ashe in the picture biography book, Game, Set Match: Champion Arthur Ashe.

If your learners enjoy tennis, take the time this month to also learn about Althea Gibson, the first African American (male or female) to win a trophy at Wimbledon in 1957.

Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis’ Fleet-of-Foot Girl by Megan Reid chronicles the life, game-face demeanor, challenges during segregation, and ultimately the triumphs of this trailblazing tennis star. 

Black History Month Day Two: Barbara Jordan

Barbara Jordan was born in Texas in 1936 during the time of Jim Crow laws. She was the first African-American woman elected to the Texas Senate. Jordan was also the first Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. 

Learn more about Jordan in the book, What Do You Do WIth a Voice Like That: The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.

Black History Month Day Three: Benjamin O. Davis Jr. 

Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was the first African American general in the United States Air Force. He led the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen, in 1943. 

Learn more about The Tuskegee Airmen in, The Tuskeegee Airmen Story. The Waldock Way also offers a ‘Who Was Mini Unit Study,’ on The Tuskeegee Airmen using the Who Were The Tuskeegee Airmen book. 

Black History Month Day Four: Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman and the first Native American to hold a pilot’s license. She participated in countless dangerous United States airshows and broke racial barriers.

Learn more about Bessie Coleman in, Fly High! The Story of Bessie Coleman.

Grab a free Bessie Coleman Unit Study from The Waldock Way.

Black History Month Day Five: Billie Holiday

A jazz and swing music singer with a career spanning 26 years, Billie Holiday had a significant impact on the pop and jazz industry. Learn more about Billie Holiday in the picture book, Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog who Loved Her.

For an in-depth study of Billie Holiday and other pioneers in the music industry, be sure to check out Torchlight’s individual study, The Art of Rock & Roll, vol. I: Beginnings through 1980. This 19-lesson curriculum explores rock and roll and its history with a focus on artists, listening to the music of the times, and hands-on projects. 

 

The study can be purchased as a stand-alone curriculum but it is also included in the Torchlight Level 5: Equity & Ethics Bundle which I have reviewed here. 

Black History Month Day Six: Booker T. Washington

With Books and Bricks: How Booker T. Washington Built a School

Booker Taliaferro Washinton was an educator, author, and speaker. He advised several presidents and was a leader in the Black community in the late 1890s through the mid-1900s.  Another picture book option is 50 Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington.

 

Black History Month Day Seven: Colin Powell

Colin Powell was the first African-American Secretary of State and an officer of the United States Army. He became a four-star general and national security advisor. Learn more about Colin Powell in this video by Educational Videos for Students YouTube Channel. 

Black History Month Day Eight: Fred Jones

We have Fred Jones to thank for inventing the first portable air conditioning unit.

To learn more about this cool African-American inventor, check out the book, I’ve Got an Idea: The Story of Frederick McKinley Jones by Gloria Borseth Swanson. 

Black History Month Day Nine: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York. One of Douglass’ most famous speeches, What to a Slave is the Fourth of July? compared the fight to abolish slavery to the Revolutionary War, implying that Independence Day did not mean freedom for all.

Be sure to check out, Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass as well as Who Was Frederick Douglass? to learn more about this notable figure in Black History.

Black History Month Day Ten: Garrett Morgan

Black History Month Day Eleven: George Washington Carver

Black History Month Day Twelve: Guion Bluford

Black History Month Day Thirteen: Harriet Tubman

Black History Month Day Fourteen: Jackie Robinson

Black History Month Day Fifteen: John Lewis

Black History Month Day Sixteen: Katherine Johnson

Black History Month Day Seventeen: Langston Hughes

Black History Month Day Eighteen: Louis Armstrong

Black History Month Day Nineteen: Malcolm X

Black History Month Day Twenty: Mary McLeod Bethune

Black History Month Day Twenty-one: Matthew Henson

Black History Month Day Twenty-two: Misty Copeland

Black History Month Day Twenty-three: Martin Luther King Jr.

Black History Month Day Twenty-four: Muhammad Ali

Black History Month Day Twenty-five: Ralph Ellison

Black History Month Day Twenty-six: Robert Robinson

Black History Month Day Twenty-seven: Shirley Chisholm

Black History Month Day Twenty-eight: Sojourner Truth

Black History Month Day Twenty-nine: Thurgood Marshall

Black History Month Day Thirty: W.E.B. Dubois