Black teachers have been instrumental in shaping Black history and American history.
Besides being terrific educators, so many Black teachers today are activists, community leaders, and agents of change. (Looking to meet some of these wonderful teachers now? Meet 5 life-changing teachers in this post and a groundbreaking STEM expert in this post.)
This Black History Month, the DonorsChoose community, generous partners, and celebrity champions wanted to give Black teachers and students the support and resources to do their amazing work all year round.
From celebrity shout-outs to fully-funded projects to a gift code surprise of a lifetime, check out all the ways the DonorsChoose community showed up for Black teachers and students this February.
Big news for Burroughs
The incredible teachers and kids of Burroughs Elementary in Tulsa, Oklahoma were surprised with $100,000 in DonorsChoose gift codes this month! Burroughs was the first school in Tulsa to desegregate and today serves a majority Black student population. Check out the unmissable moment that students learned of the funding on KOTV:
Here for the HBCU grads
The nation’s first Historically Black College and University, Cheyney University, was founded on February 25, 1837! In honor of the 87th university of this groundbreaking event, every Black DonorsChoose teacher who is an HBCU alum and had a project live got a $50 donation to their request.
A Moment for Mobile
A generous donor gave $50,000 in honor of comedian, activist, and DonorsChoose champion W. Kamau Bell to support teachers in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. In total, 63 projects were funded from Black teachers and schools where the majority of the students are Black!
Celebrations in California
Actress and comedian Amanda Seales is known for tackling important conversations with humor. This Black History Month, in tandem with Smart Funny & Black Productions, Amanda surprised teachers by funding every single project from Black teachers and schools where the majority of the students are Black in North Hills and Inglewood, California — her home communities.
Celebrity Sightings
Amanda Seales and W. Kamau Bell weren’t the only celebs to show up for DonorsChoose teachers this month! They also received shout-outs from NFL star Kelvin Beachum Jr. and Emmy-nominated actress Yvette Nicole Brown.
Perfect Portraits
Social media was blowing up this Black history month with stories, videos, and exciting shoutouts, but none were more heartwarming than the portraits of Black leaders hand-drawn by students. Anyone who has spent time in a classroom knows that Black leaders and educators are vital role models for all students. But don’t take our word for it; the portraits say it all:
The Celebration Doesn’t Stop
You can support Black teachers and students on DonorsChoose year-round, but we also want to shout-out fellow organizations doing amazing work for Black educators and educational equity. Check out the full list here.
Want to dig even deeper? Explore the inextricable relationship between Black history and Black educators in this article from The 74 by DonorsChoose’s own Kristina Lyles.
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