National Geographic Black History Month Exploration

Study Notes

This virtual field trip by National Geographic explores black history during Black History Month.
Matthew Henson, an African-American explorer born in 1866 in Maryland, grew up traveling the world and became a crucial figure in Arctic discovery.
Henson joined Robert Peary's team in 1887 as a personal assistant and proved his worth as an expert dog sledder, hunter, and navigator.
Henson and Peary spent 18 years attempting to reach the North Pole, with critical assistance from four Inuit guides.
Henson's contributions to Arctic exploration were largely overlooked in history, and he later moved to New York City and passed away in 1955.
Candacy Taylor is a cultural documentarian working on a project based on The Green Book, a historic travel guide for black people during the Jim Crow era.
The Green Book provided essential information for black travelers to stay safe and navigate a racially segregated country.
Candacy Taylor's project includes an interactive map of Green Book sites, historic and current data, and interviewing site owners to capture their stories.
The Dunbar Hotel in Los Angeles, a historic Green Book site, was a hub of black culture in the 1930s and 1940s.
The Green Book was crucial during the Civil Rights Movement, providing hope and strength for black travelers facing discrimination and segregation.- An article in the Green Book mentioned tourist sites in Washington D.C. like the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Corcoran Gallery, but also listed the Hamilton Hotel on 14th street.
The Green Book provided options for various classes of black folks.
The Hamilton Hotel, near National Geographic headquarters, was a business listed in the Green Book.
The Green Book sites are no longer around due to urban renewal, which led to the demolition of many communities and replacement with freeways.
Candacy Taylor created a StoryMap for National Geographic that outlines black social and physical mobility over the last hundred years.
Matthew Henson, an explorer, wasn't recognized for his Arctic exploration until almost a century later.
Katherine Johnson, a mathematician, calculated trajectories for Mercury missions and Project Apollo and was crucial to NASA's success in space.
Johnson's career spanned 33 years and she broke barriers of race and gender.
She received letters from children as her favorite recognition.
Asha Stewart, an anthropologist and filmmaker, focuses on documenting African-American communities dealing with climate change and environmental issues.
Gullah Geechee people are a diaspora community with African heritage who have maintained it more than other African-American communities.
Storytelling is crucial for Asha as an Explorer to share unique stories and bridge cultures.
Collaboration with the community is essential for authentic and truthful storytelling.
Black History Month is celebrated, and Asha is a black female Explorer sharing stories from her perspective.
Asha met a man during Black Lives Matter demonstrations who shared a powerful experience during Martin Luther King's time and passed on hope for the future.
Students can start documenting their own stories, even in their daily lives, to capture their unique perspectives.

Description

Explore the rich history of black explorers, activists, and communities with National Geographic during Black History Month. Learn about the achievements of Matthew Henson, The Green Book project by Candacy Taylor, the impact of urban renewal, and the stories of modern-day explorers and activists like Katherine Johnson and Asha Stewart.