
Source: Glen Mourning / @mourningknows
Black History Month is finally here and across the country there are dedicated and passionate teachers going above and beyond to ensure that their students have a memorable, inspiring and impactful February.
One way they’re doing that is by using their creativity and pride to decorate their classroom doors to pay homage to African-American heroes.
One teacher that caught our eye was Glen Mourning, an author and fourth grade teacher from Friendship Public Charter School in Washington D.C. See, the 31-year-old educator and former football player used his door to highlight Colin Kaepernick for his school’s annual door decorating contest.
Mourning told HelloBeautiful that their school has a strong focus on social justice and strives to make the connection between those core values and learning, which is important for Friendship’s predominately Black and Latino student population.
“We don’t necessarily teach a mainstream curriculum, so we don’t start our Black History lessons with slavery,” Mourning stressed.
Adding, “Our kids and our families are used to knowing more about the contributions of folks like us from all different perspectives and time periods.”
For Mourning, Colin is a perfect example of someone stands up for Black lives, an example his students can relate to and one he can expand on.
“It’s a pretty abstract concept for our 9 and 10-year olds to understand the power of Colin choosing to take a knee and being ostracized for it. So we make sure they understand that he’s more than just the ‘dude with the Afro that took a knee,’ but that these social injustices he’s speaking about are still happening.”
He adds, “That, and the importance of integrity and how doing the right thing can mean that people will not always support you.”
Mourning also makes sure his students know about Kaepernick’s work outside of football, teaching them about his, “Know Your Rights Camp, his foundation and how he has impacted people all round the world.”
“His actions are bigger than the NFL; it’s a global thing.”
Mourning, who couldn’t imagine not being a teacher, also wants for his students to have a more meaningful Black History Month than he had growing up.
“I grew up in Connecticut, so Black History Month was basically a music teacher singing some slave song and only talking about Dr. King. There was no deeper meaning that made me feel me proud or wanted me to learn more,” he explained.
And given the current culture we live in, he stresses that our kids deserve better.
“You turn on the TV and the radio and everything is anti to be proud of who you are. So as teachers we have to be as creative as possible on a regular basis and find ways for students to make connections with the world around us, so when they enter that world as adults, they know which side of the argument they are fighting for.”
Bravo to Mr. Mourning and other teachers like him who embody the phrase that “in order to be it, you need to see it.”
Take a look a some of our favorite Black History Month doors below:
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This is by far the best! #wakandaforever #blackhistorymonth #historyisstillbeingmade @OKCPS pic.twitter.com/S4bTBGuhQ1
— Hayes Teachers (@HayesTeachers) January 31, 2019
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Getting ready to celebrate Black History Month. Every classroom door has been decorated to celebrate an African American inventor. #blackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/u4FQicdKZF
— Russell Knight ES (@ARKknights1) January 30, 2019
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Black History Month. We’re ready! pic.twitter.com/1qk0JHoywK
— darralyn (@daghill) January 30, 2019
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Check Chancellor Carranza yesterday at Leaders of Tomorrow in the Bronx! pic.twitter.com/6RUQvZy3nX
— SADYE L. CAMPOAMOR (@SADYELCAMPOAMOR) January 31, 2019
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Our Black History Month door is truly “Supreme!” #DianaRoss #BlackHistoryMonth #Ludlow #PhillySchools #8thGrade @DianaRoss pic.twitter.com/gy0ANlhwa9
— Mrs. Bertotto Room 308 (@Mrs308) January 30, 2019
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Finished my black history month door ❤️🖤💚✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼 #blackhistorymonth #blackexcellence pic.twitter.com/dwPN1y2hDH
— ADRI 🥝✨ (@bellvricvn) January 31, 2019
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Ms. Turntine’s door is ready for Black History Month @EvermanJCBHigh! ♥️ pic.twitter.com/dDyQeedtRt
— Shayla Pratt (@_shaylapratt) February 1, 2019
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Amazing classroom door decoration! We are gearing up for Black History Month and the teachers are getting competitive!!! My amazing secretary, Lori Cayea, helped Ms Mulcahy put this together!!! It’s beautiful 😍 pic.twitter.com/ZrJLF4MvZc
— Michelle L. Fleming (@PBCSDTransform) January 24, 2019
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Our class door decoration for Black History Month, we discussed how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used his Big Voice @ConsciousD #consciousdiscipline #bigvoice pic.twitter.com/5iBUskppIw
— Ms. Liz (@MsLizLCS) January 31, 2019
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Sw😍😍ning over the start of my black history month door dedicated to my uncle Charlie, an original Tuskegee airman pic.twitter.com/LlKBt7rAZt
— Miss Ford (@The_Ford_Focus) January 31, 2019
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Happy February ❤️💞 and Black History Month 💚❤️💛 from Panda Nation!! Check out Mrs. Williams , 5th Grade teacher Black History Door. pic.twitter.com/mrcOQwfDW2
— 1300pandanation (@1300pandanation) February 1, 2019
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Look how one of my co-workers decorated her door for Black History Month! @MsJonesSCE #lisdlib #scestallions #stewartscreekes #lisdculture pic.twitter.com/A6yk1LFu2g
— Sonya Ford (@Ford_sdford) February 1, 2019
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Love the door decor celebrating Black History Month @CLES 🤟🏻❤️ #theCLESway pic.twitter.com/ijhQUD2GD0
— A Beslow (@TC_SLP_VBCPS) February 1, 2019
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Teach them so they will know!!! Kicking Black History month off with my classroom door decoration! Please share!!! @MaconBlackPage @paulwbronson @RevRunWisdom @askdiamondshow @theblackpanther @Becauseofthem @SenKamalaHarris @TheEllenShow @Oprah pic.twitter.com/La9BFviubU
— Nikki Nicole (@NikZetaGirl1920) January 31, 2019
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Our door for the Black History Month Door Decorating Contest at Knapp! We chose the beautiful @mistyonpointe. Not only did we learn facts about her life and the dance world, but we also had amazing discussions about race and body image. @NPSD #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/4JiV9sBbof
— Sarah Kensinger (@skensingerNPSD) January 31, 2019
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Ms. Perry's classroom; Samoset Elementary School in Bradenton, FL #BlackHistoryMonth 2018 #WeManatee pic.twitter.com/jyMfZF2hDJ
— Manatee Schools (@Manateeschools) January 31, 2019