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Black History Month resources

Added 30 Sep 2023 | Updated 25 Oct 23

What is Black History Month?

In the UK, Black History Month falls in October each year, and is a great time to learn about and celebrate Black history and heritage. However, Black history can, and should, be recognised and celebrated all year round.

Black History Month free teaching resources

This year for Black History Month we’re celebrating Black literary history and shining the spotlight on some of our favourite Black authors, illustrators and iconic characters from children’s books. The resources have been developed to honour and uplift familiar and inspirational Black authors and illustrators, and are classroom activities that can be delivered anytime in the year.

All resources are free to download on this page.

Activities for pupils aged 5-7 years (KS1): Iconic Black characters and response ideas

• This classroom activity provides the opportunity for pupils to learn about a selection of iconic Black characters within some of our favourite children’s books. Through character response activities, pupils will increase their familiarity with a wide range of books, take part in discussions about what they have read and hone their inferencing skills.

Activities for pupils aged 7-11 years (KS2): 'Did you know?’ Research Project

• In this classroom activity pupils embark on a group research project, to explore inspirational Black authors or illustrators and their contributions towards the world of children’s literature. Pupils are then invited to present their research, in a creative way, to the rest of the class. Pupils will hone their skills of reading and retrieving information from non-fiction, whilst focusing on key speaking and listening skills.

Activities for pupils aged 11-14 years (KS3): 'Did you know?’ Research Project

• In this classroom activity pupils embark on a group research project, following a research brief to discover inspirational Black authors or illustrators and their contributions towards the world of children’s literature. Through the opportunity to share their findings with their peers, pupils will hone their writing skills , focusing particularly on summarising and organising their ideas in a way that inspires their audience.

Additional links

Explore our Black History Month activities for families on Words for Life .

Explore our Literacy Teaching Calendar for literacy teaching resources to help enrich your lessons as you mark significant dates throughout the academic year.

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Nelson Mandela KS2 Black History Quiz

KS2 Black History Resources - slideshow quiz based on facts about Nelson Mandela's life, his fight for justice and the legacy he leaves behind

The Landmark Act (Y6m) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y6m readers in the form of a newspaper report about the Landmark Act. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

Apartheid Life (Y5m/Y6s) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y5m/Y6s readers linked to Black History Month in the form of a narrative about family dealing with the Apartheid law whilst visiting Johannesburg city. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

William Wilberforce (Y2m/Y3s/Y4e) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y2m/Y3s/Y4e readers linked to Black History Month in the form of a biography about William Wilberforce. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

My Caribbean Journey (Y3m/Y4s/Y5e) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y3m/Y4s/Y5e readers in the form of a letter from an African slave in the Caribbean. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

Floella Benjamin (Y3m/Y4d/Y5e) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y3m/Y4d/Y5e readers linked to Black History Month in the form of a biography about Floella Benjamin. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

Who was Nelson Mandela? (Y1m/Y2d/Y3e) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y1m/Y2d/Y3e readers linked to Black History Month in the form of a biography about Nelson Mandela. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

The History Changer (Y5m/Y6d) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y5m/Y6d readers in the form of a poem about the story of Jesus at Easter. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

Martin Luther King’s Speech (Y3m/Y4d/Y5e) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y3m/Y4d/Y5e readers in the form of an information text about Martin Luther King Junior. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

I Have a Dream (Y2m/Y3s/Y4e) Guided Reading Pack

A Guided Reading Pack aimed at Y2m/Y3s/Y4e readers in the form of a recount about a person's experiences during in the time Martin Luther King was leading a movement across the USA. Text, teacher questions, follow-up work, vocabulary activities and SPAG activities included.

Black History Month An Interview with Pelé KS2 Football Guided Reading Carousel

A complete KS2 Football Guided Reading Guided Reading Pack. Includes text, oral teacher questions, follow-up work, related SPAG work and related vocab work.

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Windrush KS2 – History and English resource

PDF lesson plan, worksheets, images and word bank

English , History

During this Windrush KS2 lesson, children will become aware of the discrimination that black people faced as they arrived in Britain on the Empire Windrush in 1948.

It also provides opportunities for pupils to:

• explore important historical events
• demonstrate empathy
• discuss issues relating to current affairs involving discrimination.

Once you’ve explored what the Empire Windrush was and the reaction passengers received when they arrived, complete the lesson by writing a diary entry.

The lesson plan and all accompanying Black History Month activities are included in this download.

Windrush KS2 resources

Use these resources to help children understand the discrimination that black people faced as they arrived in Britain on the Empire Windrush in 1948. The resources include:

• Photos of soldiers and families who travelled to Great Britain from the West Indies on the Empire Windrush in 1948
• A blank world map that children can use to identify the West Indies and Great Britain and plot the route
• A diary entry template. This is so children can write from the point of view of a passenger of the Empire Windrush after arriving in Great Britain
• Empire Windrush word banks

What they’ll learn

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of aspects of British history
• Identify links between, and give reasons for, historical events and changes
• Construct informed written responses to historical events
• Discuss their learning and develop speaking and listening skills

Julianne Britton is a primary teacher, private tutor and resource author on tes.com. Find her at missbritton.co.uk and follow her on Twitter at @juliannebritton .

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Black History Month UK Ideas and Activities for Primary Schools

Black History Month UK is a celebration of black history that takes place 1-31 October every year. This year (2020), the 33rd UK Black History Month will be celebrated. The first was in 1987.

It's not always easy to prepare effective, engaging learning for special days and events. To help, here are some Black History Month ideas and activities for schools and teachers.

Click to go straight to the activities…

What is Black History Month UK and why is it celebrated?

Black History Month in the UK celebrates the history, arts and culture of black British people. Awareness of, and education about, the history of white British people is well-established, but black British history is underreported and underrepresented. Dedicating a month to it every year helps redress that balance, and helps us all learn more about our shared History as Britons.

How is Black History Month UK celebrated?

Throughout October there are typically many newspaper and magazine articles as well as TV programmes about Black British history. Black History Month Magazine is central to the celebrations. They select a focus for the celebrations each year.

The focus for Black History Month UK 2020 is on the role and contributions of black women.

There are a number of events such as talks, discussions and debates held around the country.

Black History Month in schools

In schools, children are taught about the history of black British people. Typically, the achievements of inspiring black British role models such as athletes, authors, poets, actors and musicians are celebrated, too.

As teachers, it's essential to ensure that children know what Black History Month actually is and why it is celebrated. Explaining this to children might seem straightforward, but there's actually a lot for young learners to unpack and understand.

A differentiated, age-appropriate approach to teaching the meaning of Black History Month is necessary to ensure all primary children can learn something – and celebrate Black British history, too.

Black History Month KS1 Ideas and Activities

A simple, straightforward approach to teaching about Black History Month UK is best for younger children in Years 1 and 2. A quick discussion about why it's good to see a range of people with different skin tones and appearances in books, TV programmes and films will get children thinking about why visibility of minority ethnic groups, including Black British people, is important.

Talk about why Black History Month is celebrated

Try to draw out these key points during class discussion:

• Everyone is different in our own communities, so it's nice to see that difference in the books we read and the things we watch!
• It's also nice to see people who look like ourselves in books, films and television.
• Because many books, films and TV programmes are created by white people, black, asian and mixed-race people are often shown less.
• Minority ethnic groups, including Black British people, are also represented less often because they are in a minority: there are less black, asian and mixed-race people living in Britain than white people.
• Black History Month is important, because it is a time when we learn about Black British people, who are not represented as much as white people in books, films and television.

Experience Black British arts and culture

Although some aspects of British history (particularly those beyond living memory) are difficult to teach young children, focusing on arts and culture is a great way to help children learn about more recent events – post-war history, particularly.

Try these Black History Month UK activities with your KS1 class:

Listen to reggae, 2 Tone, ska!

Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, The Specials, The Skatalites or Toots and the Maytals are good starting points. Describe what you can hear and how it makes you feel. Dance and sing! Show pictures and share information about influential Caribbean and Black British artists, and British bands that were influenced by Caribbean sounds.

Alternatively, listen to—and learn about—some more modern, reggae-influenced r&b by artists such as Soul II Soul, Sade or Estelle.

The Specials performing at Brixton Academy, London, May 2009 as part of their 30th anniversary tour

Read books about black history, and books by black writers

Take some time to read books to your class. Reading to your class is a fantastic shared experience, and a great way to share black history with young children in an accessible way.

Make sure you have some good-quality, age-appropriate books in your book corner, too. There are a number of children's book lists of varying quality out there, but I particularly like this excellent Black History Month Booklist by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE). It includes Unheard Voices – short stories and poems from modern authors – collected by former Children's Laureate, Malorie Blackman.

Malorie Blackman OBE

Black History Month Lower KS2 Ideas and Activities

In Years 3 and 4 (lower Key Stage 2), children are ready to learn about Black British history in greater depth.

Black History Heroes

Focusing on black history heroes is a great way to celebrate the contributions of Black Britons to society, art and culture.

Looking at inspiring role models is also great a great way to teach lower KS2 children about the discrimination that historically significant black figures experienced, and how they overcame this adversity.

Learn about the lives and achievements of famous Black Britons

Show pictures of black Britons, famous for their contributions to society, sport, art and culture. It might be interesting to include some figures from more than 60 years ago, as well as black Britons in living memory. You might include:

• Malorie Blackman (author)
• Mary Seacole (historic figure)
• Diane Abbott (politician)
• Tessa Sanderson (athlete)
• Naomie Harris (actor)
• Heather Small (musician)

Tessa Sanderson CBE

(We've included a list of women here, but 100 Great Black Britons has a great list of women and men you can draw inspiration from!)

Black History Month Upper KS2 Ideas and Activities

Children in Years 5 and 6 (upper Key Stage 2) are more experienced historians, and as such, ready to be challenged with some deeper learning about Black British history!

Learning about how communities of black Caribbeans arose in areas of Britain after the end of the Second World War—and Windrush—is a great way to teach children about how modern Britain has been shaped by black culture.

Caribbean Culture and the Notting Hill Carnival

We've got a great lesson all about the Windrush Generation (part of a larger post-war British history unit of work, Rebuilding Britain ). It's a perfect way to look at how various aspects of black, Caribbean culture have influenced British society as a whole, so I'd highly recommend it!

Whether you use our resources or not, focusing on Windrush, and the growth of Caribbean communities in parts of London such as Notting Hill and Brixton is a great way to teach children about how black Caribbean culture has influenced—and become a part of—British culture as a whole.

Key concepts and questions to touch upon in your lessons

Why Caribbeans concentrated in specific areas of London. Many were poor and rent was cheap in areas such as Notting Hill and Brixton. As is human nature, Caribbeans wanted to belong to a community, so chose to live close to one another.

How black Caribbeans were treated by white British people when they arrived. You could start with a brief explanation of the Notting Hill Riots, then ask your pupils to consider why they might have happened.

Why the Notting Hill Carnival began. As a response to the riots – an opportunity to celebrate peace, unity, and Caribbean culture with the whole community.

Aspects of black Caribbean culture that came with the new arrivals. Look at the food, music, poetry and fashion of black Caribbean communities in the United Kingdom.

It might be interesting for children to consider the things that black Caribbeans both wanted and needed when they came to Britain. For example, British cuisine used different ingredients than Caribbean cuisine. Being able to buy and eat Caribbean food would have made the new arrivals feel more at home!

When black Caribbeans began to arrive in Britain there were very few hairdressers specialising in black hair, as fewer black people lived in Britain before the war. Black barbers and hairdressers sprang up in the London boroughs where Caribbean communities were growing, as did shops selling makeup for black women. Caribbeans opened grocers, clothes shops and record stores selling the things that Caribbeans wanted and were familiar with. Non-Caribbeans bought things there too, contributing to the influence of black Caribbean culture on wider British society.

Why do you think that Black British history is less well-known than the history of white Britons? Discuss as a class.

Why do you think events like Black History Month and the Notting Hill Carnival are important? Guide discussion about why we study history, and why knowing about the history and culture of all Britons—not just white Britons—is important for helping us understand the world around us.

A participant in the Notting Hill Carnival

More resources for Black History Month from PlanBee

Here's our collection of teaching resources for Black History Month  UK.

More resources for Black History Month on Twitter

The Official UK guide to the events and people who make every October worth celebrating each year.

@TheVoiceNews

Britain's leading black newspaper bringing you news, sport and entertainment with an African and Caribbean perspective.

@BHMLambeth

Lambeth's inspirational, fun & thought provoking programme of events to celebrate Black History.

@BristolBJourney

Bristol Black Journey promote information, resource and content that enable people to learn about the contributions made by the African, Carribean and Asian communities.

@bcaheritage

Follow Black Cultural Archives' journey, the UK's first national Black heritage centre.

@BlackBritHist

Beyond slavery, colonisation & immigration, @michael1952 & @MirandaKaufmann on #history of Africans in Britain and how it is presented to students & the public.

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Black History Month - lesson plans for primary schools

We’ve designed these lesson plans to give you some guidance on having an lgbt-inclusive black history month. choose the activities that best suit the needs and abilities of your class as well as the time you have available..

Each lesson has its own PowerPoint to assist with whole class teaching. Any other suggested resources are be noted in each lesson plan. 

We have also developed lesson plans on this theme for students with SEND/ASN .

Click the links to download the resources.

Lesson packs:

Black History Month Lesson Packs Reception and Key Stage 1 P1 to P3

Black History Month Lesson Packs Key Stage 2 P4 to P7

PowerPoints:

Black History Month PowerPoint - Reception or P1

Black History Month PowerPoint - Year 1 and 2 or P2 and P3

Black History Month PowerPoint - Year 3 and 4 or P4 and P5

Black History Month PowerPoint - Year 5 and 6 or P6 and P7

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Kennedy street enterprises present the stylistics plus support, beverley knight, the secret diaries of charles ignatius sancho with paterson joseph, lost in music 2023, black history month resource pack 2023.

Join us in ‘Saluting Our Sisters’ and the #WEMATTER movement during Black History Month 2023

Black History Month 2023 is a momentous occasion to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of black people to British society.

Black people have always been at the forefront of social justice movements, fighting against oppression and paving the way for change. However, despite their countless contributions to society, the achievements of black women, in particular, have too often been overlooked or forgotten. That is why, this year, we will be celebrating the exceptional achievements of black women.

The theme of ‘Saluting our Sisters’  highlights the crucial role that black women have played in shaping history, inspiring change, and building communities. This year’s celebration will showcase pioneering black women who have made remarkable contributions to literature, music, fashion, sport, business, politics, academia, social and health care, and more.

Moreover, Black History Month will feature a national poetry competition and an education pack, providing students with opportunities to learn about and celebrate the contributions of black women throughout history. The competition encourages young people to express themselves creatively and learn about the diverse experiences, struggles and triumphs of black women.

Reflecting the diversity of schools and organisations across the country, we have chosen to use a range of lesson plan formats to mirror this difference, and to provide more schools with an opportunity of an immediate point of familiarity, which will enable some schools to teach these lessons without further modification.

Additionally, we are excited to announce the national school’s poetry competition as part of Black History Month 2023. This competition provides a platform for students to express their creativity and explore the experiences and contributions of black women throughout history. We encourage schools to participate and submit entries from their students for a chance to be recognised for their talent and to inspire others.

WHAT’S INCLUDED – 5 posters A1 as follows:

In addition, we will also provide individual Black British women and Global Icons posters in A3, A2, and A4 size downloads to print, celebrating the achievements of notable Black women from both the UK and around the world.

These posters will be perfect for classroom displays or to inspire students to learn more about these incredible women.

“Sheroes Among Us, ” highlighting  contemporary black women who are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in their respective fields;

“Pioneering Voices,”  featuring black women who have used their voices to speak out against injustice, with quotes from their speeches or writings;

“Innovators and Entrepreneurs, ” showcasing black women who have made significant strides in business and entrepreneurship;

“Breaking Barriers,”  featuring black women who have broken down barriers in sports, entertainment, politics, and other fields;

“Women Who Move Mountains,”  celebrating black women who have made significant contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields

“ Women Who Lead ,” showcasing black women who have made significant contributions to leadership and governance.

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We hope that the school pack and the poetry competition will provide valuable resources and opportunities for teachers and students to celebrate Black History Month, learn about the contributions of black women to society, and inspire future generations to achieve even greater things.

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Some Churches In Florida Are Offering Black History Lessons In Response To State Restrictions

Posted: November 3, 2023 | Last updated: November 3, 2023

Some churches in Florida now offer Black history lessons to their congregation in response to the state’s restrictions on education.

Earlier this year, Blavity reported that Gov. Ron DeSantis backed the education department’s ruling to reject an African American Studies course for its high school Advanced Placement curriculum. Since then, there have been several laws regulating how educators should teach Black history in public schools and state colleges.

Now, Black churches are fighting back by using their own toolkits to provide their flock with unfiltered information about Black history. Pastor Alphonso Jackson Jr. of New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Miami shared his thoughts about Florida’s controversial standards on education with NBC News .

“My initial reaction was … disbelief, and then it turned to anger,” Johnson told the outlet.

Like other religious leaders, Johnson turned to the internet to find the best alternative for his congregation. He then discovered an online toolkit created by Faith in Florida, which gives churches the resources they need to counter the state’s standards.

“It’s up to us to be able to write our own story and to tell the truth,” Johnson said, per NBC News.

Pastor Sharon Riley of Agape Perfecting Praise & Worship Center in Orlando also used the same online toolkit to teach Black History lessons.

“Because we have families who have students who are registered in our public school system, we know that there are certain pieces of information relevant to our history that are not going to be taught,” Riley told WMFE , Orlando’s NPR station.

The Florida pastors’ goal is to educate their members, specifically the children, by using the toolkits to teach them everything they should know about Black history.

“Well, the church is going to always be an educational institution — period. We teach people how to live their lives, how to raise their families, how to plan for their future. We teach. That’s what we do,” Riley said.

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Tiffany Wilburn, 41, a Jackson, Miss., based social activist, says she has been reinvigorated to go to the polls thanks to her close friends, her children and voting rights advocacy groups, during a roundtable discussion on elections, race and voter fatigue, Oct. 25, 2023, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

JACKSON, Miss. – A few years ago, Tiffany Wilburn just didn’t see the point in voting any longer.

Her children didn’t have proper school books, health insurance was expensive and hard to get, police abuse continued against Black residents, and her city’s struggle to get clean drinking water seemed emblematic of her community always coming out on the short end of state decision-making.

Combine that with Mississippi’s long history of voter suppression and she felt casting a ballot was simply a hopeless exercise.

“It’s like you’re not being heard,” Wilburn said in her hometown of Jackson, the state capital. “You run to the polls, hoping and praying for change, and then you look around and nothing’s really happening. So you shut down.”

Recent interviews with Black voters, voting rights groups, candidates and researchers show that the voter fatigue felt by Wilburn has been widely shared in a state where nearly 40% of the overall population is Black. This year, political dynamics have combined to begin changing that, leading many voters such as Wilburn to reengage.

The race for governor appears competitive and is drawing national attention. Tuesday's election also happens to be the first one in Mississippi to be held without the burden of an unusual post-Reconstruction constitutional provision that had made it virtually impossible for Black candidates to win on a statewide basis.

Five Black candidates are running for statewide office, from agriculture commissioner to secretary of state. Each is trying to become the first Black candidate to ever win one of those posts.

Voting rights advocates hope the changes will encourage a rebuilding of the Black community’s voting base and provide a tail wind to Democrats in a state that is now mostly controlled by Republicans.

“Black people here aren’t scared to vote and do care because it impacts all of us, our entire livelihood,” said Glennard Warren, a 66-year-old voter in Vicksburg. “Now it’s more important that we enhance and educate all voters, especially Black people. But the voting process isn’t necessarily sound and there are many constraints that we’re facing like gerrymandering, purging of voter rolls — it’s a lot. But I’m going and taking everyone I can with me.”

White leaders of both parties used numerous tactics over several decades to suppress the Black vote, from poll taxes to literacy tests. Among the most pernicious was a provision slipped into the Mississippi Constitution in 1890 that required candidates for governor and other statewide offices to win not only a majority of the vote, but also a majority of the state’s 122 House districts.

After a lawsuit, voters in 2020 repealed it , ensuring that candidates just had to win a simple statewide majority. Some voting rights groups and candidates said that provides an opening, not just for this year’s candidates, but also to start expanding their voter base.

Robert Bradford, the Democratic nominee for state agriculture commissioner, said repealing that part of the constitution will open doors for Black candidates to succeed in the years to come. He joined with several other Democratic candidates to engage with voters who had become disenchanted, thinking their voice would never make a difference in the state.

“We’ve got to sow those seeds in areas that never had anything grown,” he said. “We met people who felt like, ‘Why vote because nothing’s going to happen?’ It’s that mindset and those feelings that we have to address.”

Black voters in the state still face a disproportionate burden. A common complaint is about a purging of voter rolls that has caused problems for Black voters as recently as this year’s August primary.

Taylor Turnage of the Mississippi Votes Action Fund had to file a provisional ballot after she went to her polling place and found her name had been removed from the rolls.

“I’ve been voting in Tougaloo for several years with no problems. But when I went, I was told, ‘You’re not in the system,’” she said. “You’re purging people who are actually voting now? If people don’t know they’re purged until Election Day, it’s too late then.”

Among the remaining hurdles is another part of the state constitution that strips voting rights from people who have committed certain felonies, a provision that also dates to 1890.

Critics say the named crimes were ones the white power structure thought Black people were more likely to commit. In 2009, a former Democratic state attorney general issued an opinion that expanded the list to 22 crimes, including timber larceny, carjacking, felony shoplifting and passing bad checks.

“We have to have conversations about what’s still on the books -- because that repeal is done, but the work isn’t over,” said Danyelle Holmes, a national social justice organizer for Repairers of the Breach, a group that advocates for voting rights, democracy and a range of social issues. “That’s how we get to the root of the fatigue.”

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to reconsider a 2022 decision by the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that said Mississippi had remedied the discriminatory intent of the original provisions by altering the list of disenfranchising crimes.

Many other states in recent years have taken steps to reinstate voting rights for former felons. In Mississippi, more than 10% of Black adults are formerly incarcerated, according to a 2022 report by The Sentencing Project.

“That’s a huge percentage. If the elections were close and that 10% could vote, it very well could sway the elections,” said Marvin King, a professor at the University of Mississippi who focuses on African American politics.

More recent events have contributed to a sense of embattlement in the Black community.

In particular, a 2022 water crisis in Jackson left most of the 150,000 residents in the majority Black city without running water for several days after heavy rains damaged one of the water-treatment plants. Residents lamented the government’s lack of attention to their basic needs.

Last spring, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who faces a reelection challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley, signed into law a major change passed by the Republican-controlled and majority white Legislature that created special courts with appointed judges in the county that includes Jackson.

Two lawsuits challenged it, arguing that the Mississippi Constitution requires most judges to be elected. Critics also said it was another way to make it harder for Black voters to elect candidates of their choice. In September, the Mississippi Supreme Court blocked the appointment of the circuit court judges but allowed a new lower-level court with one appointed judge.

Ty Pinkins, the Democratic nominee for secretary of state, took notice, citing his extensive history in suing the state for similar offenses in the past.

“We’re here to make sure that doesn’t continue to happen,” he said during a candidates' rally in Vicksburg.

Black voters are listening, but some said boosting engagement is a two-way street: If they show up to vote, it has to be translated into action. That sentiment is especially strong on college campuses, a focal point of several of the Black candidates running for statewide office.

Students at Jackson State University, a historically Black college, want to see candidates spend time on campus discussing the priorities of the youngest voting generation.

“If I were to put myself in a candidate’s shoes, I would actually go on campus not to get votes but to understand,” said Austin Crudup, a 23-year-old student. “Ask what is something that you would like me to fix or change? What could I do to make your life a little bit easier?”

Associated Press writers Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.

The Associated Press coverage of race and voting receives support from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Wizards’ ‘out there’ City Edition uniforms are a D.C. history lesson

Of the seven City Edition uniforms the Washington Wizards have unveiled since the NBA and Nike launched their leaguewide initiative in 2017 to celebrate each franchise’s unique ties to its community (and sell more merchandise), this year’s version is the most outside the box.

Washington’s black, gray, copper and teal uniforms were officially revealed Wednesday after leaking last week on social media, where they prompted plenty of questions from befuddled fans about what, if anything, the look had to do with D.C. Most of the team’s previous City Edition uniforms incorporated the franchise’s traditional red, white and blue color scheme; last year’s pink cherry blossom design , a rare exception, featured an obvious connection to the District.

Whether it sways fan opinion remains to be seen, but the story behind the Wizards’ newest uniforms is genuinely fascinating. The design was inspired not by Medieval Times or “The Legend of Zelda,” as some jokingly suggested, but by the oldest monuments purchased by the U.S. government — 40 stones , placed at one-mile intervals, that marked the original boundary of the District of Columbia after the Residence Act of 1790 authorized President George Washington to establish an up to 100-square-mile site for the nation’s new capital along the Potomac River.

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Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson appointed Major Andrew Ellicott to survey the land, and after mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker helped locate the point where the survey should start in February 1791, Ellicott and his brother roughly marked the District’s 40-mile, diamond-shaped perimeter over the next month. The first boundary stone was laid at Jones Point in Alexandria on April 15, 1791. The project, which involved a logging party clearing a 40-foot swath of land across the boundary line carved out of Maryland and Virginia, was completed Jan. 1, 1793.

Today, 36 stones, including four replicas, can be found in their original locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Some are buried deep in the woods , while others go virtually unnoticed alongside busy streets or get mistaken for gravestones in homeowners’ front yards .

“I live a block away from one of the stones and I’m a history nerd, so I brought it up and we ideated on it,” Hunter Lochmann, Monumental Sports and Entertainment’s chief marketing officer, said of how the idea for this season’s City Edition uniforms originated more than two years ago. (Lochmann and his team are already planning the Wizards’ City Edition uniforms for 2025-26.)

Before pitching the idea to Nike, Lochmann sought input from one of the world’s leading experts on the stones, Stephen Powers, who happens to be a die-hard Wizards fan and longtime season ticket holder.

Powers, a 59-year-old civil engineer and amateur historian, grew up in Northern Virginia and fell in love with the Washington Bullets during the 1970s. He developed an interest in the boundary stones much later, when his daughter was tasked with coming up with a trivia question about her native Arlington for a second-grade class project. Powers offered that Arlington was part of D.C. until Congress retroceded the land on the Virginia side of the Potomac to the commonwealth in 1846.

After taking his daughter to a couple of the boundary stones still standing in Arlington, Powers became determined to find them all. With some help from the Nation’s Capital Boundary Stone Committee, for which he now serves as chairman, Powers and a friend visited every remaining stone May 7, 2006. They documented every stop with a photo .

“We had so much fun, we did it again and again,” said Powers, who has completed the same journey on the first Sunday in May for 18 consecutive years. Lochmann tagged along for the start of this year’s trip.

Nike loved the boundary stone idea; after all, the historic markers literally defined the District and were now part of the fabric of D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Powers, whom Lochmann called a “wonderful resource” throughout the design process, offered feedback on several boundary stone-themed prototypes created by Nike’s designers.

The chosen design reflects the boundary stones’ colorful history. The diagonal red piping across the jersey and shorts creates a gray diamond that represents the original shape of the District. The copper and teal patina around the trim was inspired by the oxidized metal of the fences the Daughters of the American Revolution installed to protect the boundary stones in 1915. Beginning around 2011, Powers helped organize groups of volunteers to restore 22 of the fences over the next several years.

The six red stars along the side of the uniform are a nod to the legend of how Banneker determined the location for the placement of the southern corner stone in 1791, by plotting the movement of six stars across a spot in the sky at a specific time of night. Six teal compasses above the NBA tag on the jersey symbolize the survey instruments used.

The uniform features a modified version of the Wizards’ primary logo, with a boundary stone replacing the Washington Monument. “The District of Columbia” appears in blackletter, or Gothic script, on the front of the jerseys, representing the type of font found on maps around the time the boundary stones were installed. “DMV” is featured in the same typeface on the waistband of the shorts.

The boundary stones were made out of Aquia Creek sandstone from Stafford County, the same material used in the construction of the Capitol and White House. Lochmann said a light gray or beige color more similar to the color of the stones was considered, but the NBA nixed the idea out of concern for how the jerseys would look on traditional hardwood courts, especially on TV broadcasts.

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Powers is pleased with the uniforms and suggested the leaked images didn’t do them justice, in part because the diamond shape that’s such a key part of the design is only apparent when the jersey and shorts are paired together.

“I’m hoping the tide is going to turn when people see it presented holistically and get the backstory on it, that there will be more pride and understanding,” Powers said. “And hopefully, for me, people are like, ‘Oh, I want to go see these stones.’ Maybe this will get us closer to one day the stones being National Historic Landmarks and getting money to take care of them.”

(Only one stone, SW#9 in Falls Church’s Benjamin Banneker Park, has a National Historic Landmark designation and the preservation benefits that come with it.)

Shedding some light on the oldest monuments defining The District's origins. We’ll be bringing Boundary Stones to life through our 2023-24 City Edition Uniforms. #ForTheDistrict | @RobinhoodApp pic.twitter.com/er1joHsOXY — Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 1, 2023

Lochmann acknowledged that the popularity of last year’s cherry blossom design will be hard to top, but the team is proud to bring awareness to a seldom-told part of D.C. history.

“At the end of the day, we can’t make everyone love it, but what’s neat about the City Edition jerseys is it’s a way to educate your city about what makes it special,” Lochmann said. “Very few people who grew up here have heard of [the stones]. … This one is a stretch, it’s out there, but we’re excited to educate our fan base.”

“It’s kind of a dream come true,” Powers said of being able to combine two of his passions. “It’s surreal to see it happen. I think the stones are going to get a little more national attention because of this, and that to me is the best part.”

The Wizards will wear their City Edition uniforms for the first time Nov. 10 against the Charlotte Hornets, which is Washington’s first home game of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament. The team will debut a boundary stone-themed court — different from the custom court the league created for in-season tournament games — on Dec. 15.

Wizards City Edition uniforms and other merchandise will be available at the Capital One Arena team store and online beginning Thursday.

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