One Islamic School’s Approach Justice, Fairness and Black History Month

An opportunity to ensure daily, year-round engagement within Islamic schools and beyond

In recognizing that the history and voices of black individuals, particularly African Americans, have been misrepresented or omitted for centuries in American history, the US designates February as “Black History Month.” And while Islamic schools across the country should include Black history in their instruction, curriculum and approach to education at all times, not just in February, Black History Month is a good opportunity for us to reflect on how well we are representing the history and voices of African Americans in our own schools and classrooms (or not).

Towards this end, we share these resources developed by Al-Fatih Academy‘s principal, Afeefa Syeed and her team, as an excellent example of how a school might approach Black History Month within the larger concepts of Justice and Fairness. Here are some examples of how they help their staff, students, parents and community understand how to integrate these concepts into their daily practice.

 

Checklist: Justice & Fairness at School & at Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powerpoint on Justice & Fairness for the Community

Teacher Notes on Justice and Fairness, Tie-ins to Islam

Document/Form: Understanding Black History Month at AFA

Understanding Black History Month, Inclusion Year-Long at AFA

 

By looking through these documents, it is clear that a holistic approach to Black History Month requires for it to be embedded in larger concepts, such as justice and fairness, and for learning and dialogue to occur beyond just students and staff, but to the entire community in which the school resides.