A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that high school dropout rates for African Americans are declining; however, the African American dropout rate is still extremely high in comparison to other racial groups. One theory on why the African American dropout rate remains high is the problem of implicit bias. A recent Los Angeles Times article revealed that some educators, despite race, view African American students through a biased lens. This results in lowered expectations and lower academic performance. These lowered expectations occur as a result of educators and student not being informed about the significant accomplishments that African Americans have made around the globe. Some educators have a diminished view of students’ potential.
Enter the Black365 team. Their sole mission is cultural education and college readiness. After 11 years of publishing the #1 Black history calendar, they decided to launch three additional products to help strengthen their mission. “A to Z, Character Traits in Me: Words of Wisdom for Living Your Best Life” was published in July of this year. This unique book teaches character traits, A to Z. It provides 26 character traits, the definition of the character trait, along with a name and brief biography of an African American who exemplified that character trait throughout their life. Students and teachers alike can learn to be “bold” like Barack Obama, “courageous” like Coretta Scott King, or have “determination” like Denzel Washington.
This month the Black365 team released two editions of Black history cards. Edition one, known as the Conscious Quotations edition, features 52 cards containing 52 motivational quotations from some of the greatest minds in our history. They hope that each week, classrooms and homes around the country commit to learning and discussing powerful quotes. Hearing inspiring words from the likes of Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lena Horne, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, and others is sure to uplift.
Edition two of their Black history cards is known as African American Icons A to Z. This set of cards showcases the same 26 icons from their book, A to Z, Character Traits in Me: Words of Wisdom for Living Your Best Life, along with bullet points about the individual’s life on the rear of each card. President of Black365, Jamaal Brown, when asked about the inspiration behind these products states, “our team of educators looks to inspire, uplift and educate every day. Our children receive pride and self-confidence through learning lessons about people who look like them who have achieved great things. Once inside of those school doors, they are more insulated from micro-aggressions, and they are better equipped to excel once they know that they are standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Find out more about these products at BlackHistoryCards.com
