Now more than ever, it’s important to teach our young kids about the Black Americans who paved the way for civil rights in America. We’ve rounded up some spots to visit in the Bay Area (even virtually) to learn about Black history with your kids.
LessMoAD, a contemporary art museum, celebrates Black cultures, ignites challenging conversations, and inspires learning through the global lens of the African Diaspora. This month, you can engage in activities like an art history crash course presented by California College of Arts professor Jacqueline Francis. She’ll be talking about the art and artists of the Black Atlantic with an emphasis on aesthetic objects produced by African or African-descended people over four sessions.
This beautiful art center has classes, exhibitions and events that cater to schools, community centers and the Richmond Public Library. For Black History Month, they have partnered with the Art of African Diaspora for an online event to highlight artist work with virtual open studios, artist talks and other events that are sure to be fun and educational for the whole family.
While the museum is currently closed due to COVID, the Oakland Museum of California has instituted an OMCA at Home program with fun projects and seminars for families of all ages. Check out the virtual tour of Black Power, an exhibition that explores the history of the Black Power movements in California and the Bay Area’s role.
Do you have a baseball fan at home? A trip to Oracle Park is already pretty awesome. It also hosts a statue of one of the most well-known baseball players. Willie Mays spent almost all of his 22-season career playing for the San Francisco Giants. Learn about his history starting with the Negro American League and visit the statue on your next trip to San Francisco. While you're at the statue, get the kids to count the number of palm trees in the plaza. There are 24 for Mays' jersey number.
A community-based organization with a mission to empower and connect through culture, the AAACC is a great place for our youth to learn about Black history. They are all about expression with art, education and special programs while supporting local Bay Area artists. Check out some of their virtual programming and exhibits like The Black Woman is God: Reclaim, Reconfigure, Re–Remember.
Take in the vision of peace and unity at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. You’ll get to see his inspiring words, poems and images from the Civil Rights Movement surrounding a beautiful waterfall.