Shortchanging Black History

"Black History Month is upon us, and some black educators question whether the well-meaning designation lets schools off the hook for the rest of the year. "Black history needs to be taught every day, not just during the shortest month of the year," says Vance Hopkins, head of a junior high academy in Duluth, Minnesota. "It is better to have a full month to have a larger focus so the students can see how things fit together," counters Ken Mularski, curriculum coordinator at Walter Payton College Prep High School, in Chicago. Read two stories on Black History Month: "Hopkins: Teach Black History Every Day," in the Budgeteer News and "Black History: Best Taught in February or All Year Long?" in the Christian Science Monitor."