New Black History Videos Celebrate Achievement Of Heroic Figures

CONCORD, NH — The state education department has teamed up with a nonprofit to create a series of videos focusing on stories that can be used by schools as part of their Black History Month educational programming.

The New Hampshire Department of Education released the first Stories of Courage video on Monday. The video was created in collaboration with the Woodson Center of Washington, D.C., a nonprofit organization that assists residents of low-income neighborhoods to address problems while also encouraging them to become agents of their own uplift. Each week during the next month, another video will be released to the public. The videos and lesson plans, according to officials, aim “to provide a robust and complete story of American history and the Black American experience while focusing on individuals who overcame difficult life circumstances, including discrimination and bias.”

The first video features Booker T. Washington and his work with philanthropist Julius Rosenwald to create thousands of Rosenwald schools across the deep south which assisted in educating Blacks in the wake of emancipation.

Ian Rowe, a senior visiting fellow at the Woodson Center, who is also narrator of the videos, said he has been “continually amazed at how many teachers and students are not aware of this visionary collaboration” between the men. Their work led to one of the greatest literacy programs of all time, he said.

“It is the true measure of human achievement,” Rowe added.

The shorts were created with assistance of Luke Crory, an independent videographer from New Ipswich.

Frank Edelblut, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education, said it was important to reflect on the pursuit of education and equal opportunities for every child during Black History Month.

“This video collaboration presents several history lessons that spotlight noteworthy contributions that Black Americans have made to the United States, and how they persisted in spite of racial discrimination,” he said. “That we were able to partner with the Woodson Center on this project is an honor all of New Hampshire can be proud of.”

Other videos include the story of the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts infantry who fought in the Civil War, Elijah McCoy, an inventor, and Biddy Mason, who was born a slave but died an affluent California real estate developer.

Editor's note: I was director of communications for the New Hampshire Department of Education between April 13, 2018, and April 16, 2019.

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