{"id":220152,"date":"2023-02-21T14:12:09","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T19:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=220152"},"modified":"2023-02-21T14:12:09","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T19:12:09","slug":"teaching-black-history-in-february-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2023\/02\/21\/teaching-black-history-in-february-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Black History in February \u2013 and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brian Milara\u2019s social studies classroom at Newark\u2019s Arts High School honors Black history with inspirational quotes \u2013 Lift Every Voice <\/em>\u2013 and portraits of influential African Americans adorning the walls. But the decor has nothing to do with February\u2019s celebration of Black culture and history.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had some students ask, \u2018So are we doing anything special for Black History Month?\u2019 I told them, \u2018The work we do isn’t determined by the calendar. We’re doing what we always do in this class.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Framing lessons from an anti-racist lens, says Milara \u201919, \u201922 MAT. \u201cBlack history is a part of everything we study, as is Latino history, as is women\u2019s history, as is Asian American history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Teacher
Brian Milara outside his classroom which challenges students to \u201cBe The Change.\u201d Milara earned a Master of Arts in Teaching last May and a bachelor\u2019s degree in History in 2019. He was selected among the outstanding prospective teachers for the New Jersey Distinguished Clinical Intern Award in 2022 and is now a first-year teacher at Arts High School in Newark. (Photo by John J. LaRosa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Milara is an alumnus of the Newark Teacher Project<\/a>, which \u2013 along with the Urban Teacher Residency<\/a> \u2013\u00a0prepares teachers with a passion for social justice to teach in urban schools. The programs are part of Montclair\u2019s Transformative Education Network<\/a> (known by its acronym TEN), which recruits, graduates and mentors teachers who want to make a positive change.<\/p>\n

Milara shares a passion typical of Montclair graduates now teaching in Newark\u2019s schools. \u201cI became a teacher because I wanted something different from what I saw as a student,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s no secret. I’m a white man in America and the story of history that I got is one where I could very easily see myself reflected. But I’m also a white man in America who went to school in a community where most of my classmates did not look like me. So when you get a version of history that is Christopher Columbus did this, and George Washington did that, and then let’s go through every single president and every war that was started, are you really getting a version of history that is reflective of our communities, of the majority of the young people in America?<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be that teacher who put stories of communities of color, of women, of LGBTQ+ people at the front and center of the narrative,\u201d Milara says.<\/p>\n

Aicha Hamlin \u201919, \u201920 MAT also wants to be that teacher. \u201cI\u2019m able to incorporate into the day-to-day, real-life situations that are happening in our world and having the students make a personal connection to it,\u201d says Hamlin, who teaches students with mild learning disabilities at George Washington Carver Elementary School.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of the reason we started the Newark Teacher Project is to support and develop racially conscious teachers like Brian and Aicha,\u201d says Bree Picower, co-director of TEN. \u201cWe are always looking for teachers, particularly teachers of color, who are aware of their own racial identity, are committed to racial justice and are dedicated to infusing their curriculum with the history and resilience of communities of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of their preparation, teachers who rise up through the Newark Teacher Project attend summer workshops to understand the distinct neighborhoods and connect with Montclair\u2019s partners in the city, including the community-based organizations dedicated to improving the schools. The collaboration allows teachers to develop lesson and unit plans based on the students\u2019 neighborhoods, experiences and identities.<\/p>\n

Typical of the work, future teachers in both TEN programs are currently developing lessons based on the books of Rene\u0301e Watson, author, educator and community activist<\/a>. Watson\u2019s poetry and fiction explores themes of home, identity, and the intersections of race, class and gender. These ideas will be further explored with students from Newark and Orange when Watson joins them on March 2 for a seminar as part of the TEN\u2019s Critical Urban Education <\/a>speaker series.<\/p>\n

\"Teacher
Aicha Hamlin earned a combined bachelor\u2019s\/Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) with Dual Certification, a five-year program. She credits the Newark Teacher Project \u201cfor allowing me to be the best educator that I can be by just always being there, supporting me and showing me a different light.\u201d (Photo by John J. LaRosa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Newark Teacher Project is now recruiting teacher education students for next year\u2019s cohort. The application<\/a> deadline is March 15. \u201cI can’t stress enough how life changing of an experience it’s going to be,\u201d Milara says.<\/p>\n

Hamlin agrees. In the quiet hour before school begins, she mindfully prepares for her day ahead. \u201cI put jazz music on or chill with hip-hop beats. I meditate. I’ve been into reading lately, so I read a little something. I have my tea,\u201d Hamlin says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Newark Teacher Project molded me into having a different way of thinking. It taught me patience. It taught me grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

You May Also Like:<\/h2>\n