In 1900, just 35 years after the end of the U.S. Civil War, brothers James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson composed, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. This song was formally adopted in 1919 by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as the Black National Anthem.
LKSD is committed to honoring Black history this month and every month, and is proud to be a diverse school district.
In Akula, teacher Teilo Baldwin has helped proclaim the month by singing the Black National Anthem over the intercom after announcements.
Our schools across the district honor the occasion uniquely. Students participate in creating bulletin boards and poetry, participating in writing contests, dressing up as historical heroes, and more.
This year, in Kipnuk, third-graders made signs, featuring a quote by Nelson Mandela.
We encourage you to check out the links below to learn more about Black history, the NAACP, read the lyrics to the Black National Anthem and more.
Smithsonian Learning Lab
African American History and Culture in the United States
Making History: African American Pioneers of Science
Black History Month - civiced.org
A History of the Black National Anthem | Time