Educators can tap into multiple sources to observe the month and use it as a teaching opportunity in the classroom and in schools. This year’s theme is “African Americans and the Vote,” fitting for our election year.

The theme recognizes the struggle for voting rights among African Americans throughout American history — including today. 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment, which gave black men the right to vote following the Civil War. (It also marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment and the culmination of the women’s suffrage movement.)

Discuss voting rights with your students – this month and all year long. Lesson plans and resources on broader history and social movements, such as in the book Teaching for Black Lives, are available at NEAedjustice.org, blacklivesmatteratschool.com, nea.org, scholastic.com and pbs.org, among others.