Black Lives Matter Fredericton, the University of New Brunswick’s faculty of education and St. Thomas University launched a website with teaching resources on Feb. 1.
The website is accessible to the public for teachers to incorporate Black history into their curriculums.
After working with Education Minister Dominic Cardy and his team, Black Lives Matter Fredericton realized that the curriculum modification could take years to achieve.
“We felt it was necessary to provide an immediate forum where educators can choose to integrate Black awareness directly into their classrooms,” said Alicia Noreiga-Mundaroy, project leader.
The group is still working with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to incorporate Black history into the curriculum and ensure that Black history is not being erased.
The website has lesson plans, short films, videos and readings that were created by Black Lives Matter Fredericton. The lesson plans are organized from grades K-12.
Black Lives Matter Fredericton said they recognize the importance of French in N.B. and the website, which is currently available in English, will also become available in French.
The project is dedicated to Mary Louise McCarthy-Brandt, a critical race theorist and anti-racism educator. She is the president of the New Brunswick Black History Society and works towards making sure Black voices are heard.
“As a Black historian and as a resident, sixth generation of this wonderful province, I am so excited that stories are going to be written and preserved of the early Black people of this province,” said McCarthy-Brandt on the Facebook livestream launch party.
She said she was humbled to have her name attached to the website.
Though it’s not mandatory for teachers to include this content in their curriculum, the Black Lives Matter Fredericton group hopes they are encouraged to do so in an attempt to create more diverse and inclusive schools.
Husoni Raymond, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Fredericton and former STU Students’ Union president, said he thinks it’s necessary to have Black history taught in schools.
“Specifically, New Brunswick, it’s been erased for so long and it can’t be emphasized enough to teach Black history,” he said.
The project doesn’t stop here. The group is still working to reach out further than N.B. and continue to work on the website based on feedback.
“It’s the first step in ensuring that the curriculum is diversified, all the perspectives are shared and all students feel included and represented in the curriculum,” said Raymond.
The group also encouraged others to check out the website and said that it is not only targeted to teachers for their curriculums but also to anyone who wants to learn about Black history in New Brunswick.
“Our hope is students will be able to learn more about the rich Black history that New Brunswick has,” said Raymond.
