ProQuest Platinum
The NAACP and Black History Month
The NAACP is one of the oldest and most influential African American organizations in the United States. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination."

What are at least two of the most significant accomplishments of the NAACP? Who are at least three of its most influential leaders and why? What are at least two other African American civil rights organizations and what do they do?

Let ProQuest Platinum help students answer these timely questions.

Top 3 Websites
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SIRS Spotlights + Challenge Quests
A commemoration of the historical, cultural, and contemporary roles of African Americans in the U.S., Black History Month aspires to educate the nation on topics significant to the African-American experience.

Our new SIRS Spotlight of the Month profiles renowned African Americans and reflects on African-American history and culture.

Presidents' Day is celebrated on the third Monday of each February, in honor of George Washington's birthday.

Learn more with this month's SIRS Challenge Quests.

ProQuest Recorded Video Training:
Anytime, Anywhere, Any Device
In addition to the free, Web-based training courses we offer each month, you can also tap into our recorded training videos.

Available anytime, these 5-75 minute self-paced Flash videos allow users to pause and resume their training anytime.

You may now stream or download our SIRS The Human Element Animated Video, New eLibrary Quick Tour + Multimedia Highlights, and ProQuest Platform (Gold, Silver, Platinum, etc.) videos.

CultureGrams
Africa's Unusual Borders
Today's African Americans are descended from the peoples of Africa. For Black History Month, teach students about the way in which borders in Africa were drawn up by European colonial powers in the mid- to late 19th century.

To illustrate this point, ask the students to look at Senegal on our map. Senegal is a nation that completely surrounds the country of The Gambia. This oddity is due to Senegal's history as a colony of France and Gambia's history as a colony of Britain.

World Conflicts Today
Linking Black History with Similar
Examples in Other Countries
Read through the following sections of World Conflicts Today: "Civil Rights Movement" in Northern Ireland and "War of the Thousand Days" in Colombia.

Then answer the following essential questions for critical thinking that ask you to draw connections between discrimination in the U.S. and discrimination in Northern Ireland and Colombia...

After the creation of the state of Northern Ireland, how did Protestants deny Catholics the vote without appearing to discriminate on religious grounds? After blacks officially received the vote in the United States, what tactics were used to prevent them from voting?

Examine all the issues in this World Conflicts Today activity.

Explore additional history-related themes inside Retroview and History Happenings, our hands-on social studies newsletters.

ProQuest Historical Newspapers
The Harlem Renaissance
Black History Month provides an opportunity to discover more about the evolution of black culture. The transition of African Americans from rural lives as slaves in the southern states to a predominantly urban life in northern cities began in the early 20th century.

Students should create a report of at least 150 words, or a presentation of at least two minutes and seven slides, that cites at least three resources and address the following essential questions for critical thinking around this theme.