Resources for Recognizing Heritage Months in the Music Room

So you want to recognize Black History Month, Latine / Hispanic Heritage Month, AAPI Heritage Month, and other heritage months in your classroom, but it feels overwhelming to think about trying to do another thing on top of everything else you're juggling as a teacher with so little class time. You also don't want to do it wrong... how do you avoid being performative, or even disrespectful, especially if you are not a part of the culture you are wanting to celebrate? As I continue to listen and learn from culture bearers from a broad range of cultural heritages, I'm sharing here my favorite resources for celebrating specific heritage months in the music classroom.

First, if you haven't seen it already, I wrote a post last week with some general thoughts on recognizing heritage months in the music room, focusing on how to do so appropriately and respectfully but also being realistic about what we can do with our limited class time- you can read all of that in last week's post here. 

Today I want to share specific ideas and resources to learn from culture bearers for some of the specific heritage months I've incorporated into my classroom. I said this in last week's post but it bears repeating every time: I am not a member of any of these cultures that are recognized in the heritage months, and therefore I should not be your final destination for doing your own learning and finding your own ideas. I've intentionally avoided sharing too many specific examples of what I do in my classroom because that's not my place. My goal here is to help jump start your research, because I know it can be overwhelming at first. I hope that by sharing these resources you will feel empowered to learn more and find respectful, purposeful ways to celebrate these in your own classroom! Don't miss the lists of people to follow for each of the heritage months below so you can continue your learning.

February: Black History Month

In the United States, Black History Month is celebrated in February. Click on the image above to see all of my suggestions and resources for recognizing BHM in the music room, and learn more about Black History Month in general on this site.

May: AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is recognized in May in the United States. Click the image above to read my suggestions and resources for recognizing AAPI heritage month in the music room, or click here to learn more about the heritage month in general.

September 15-October 15: Latine / Hispanic Heritage Month

Commonly known as Hispanic Heritage Month, I've learned that many culture bearers prefer the term "Latine", so I am using both here. This heritage month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th in the United States. Click the image above to see my favorite resources for recognizing this heritage month in the music room, or click here to learn more about the month in general.

November: Native American Heritage Month

November is nationally recognized as Native American Heritage Month in the United States. Click the image above for a list of resources from culture-bearers that are appropriate for non-indigenous teachers to use and learn from as well as some contemporary indigenous musicians with school-appropriate songs from diverse genres to share with your students, or click here to visit the official website and learn about the history and background of the heritage month itself.

As I learn of new resources, find new ideas, or add new heritage months to my list I will keep this post updated! What resources from culture bearers have you found most helpful as you plan your own celebrations in your music classroom? I'd love for you to share what you've found in the comments below.