ESL Questions Black History Month
Black History Month
75 discussion questions about Black History Month for ESL learners at every level. Good for history vocabulary, discussions about race and representation, and thinking critically about how societies remember the past.
Beginner
Do you know what Black History Month is?
When is Black History Month celebrated?
Can you name a famous Black historical figure?
Do you know who Martin Luther King Jr. was?
Have you ever learned about Black history at school?
Do you know who Rosa Parks was?
Have you ever visited a museum about history and civil rights?
Do you know what the civil rights movement was?
Can you name a famous Black musician or artist?
Do you know who Nelson Mandela was?
Have you ever watched a film about Black history?
Do you know what slavery was and when it ended in the US?
Can you name a Black scientist or inventor?
Do you know what segregation means?
Have you ever read a book by a Black author?
Do you know who Harriet Tubman was?
Is Black History Month celebrated in your country?
Do you think it is important to learn about the history of different groups of people?
Can you name a Black athlete who made history?
Do you know what the term 'civil rights' means?
Have you ever talked about race or history with people from different backgrounds?
Do you know what apartheid was?
Can you name a Black writer or poet?
Do you think schools should teach more Black history?
What is one thing you would like to learn more about related to Black history?
Intermediate
How does Black History Month in the US compare to how it is observed in other countries?
Do you think one month is enough to address the history of Black people and their contributions?
How does the way history is taught in schools reflect the values of that society?
What Black historical figures from outside the US do you know about?
How has the legacy of slavery shaped modern society in the US and beyond?
Do you think it is important to have dedicated months for specific groups, or should history be integrated throughout the year?
How do you feel about the debate over statues and monuments to historical figures who were slaveholders?
How has the Black Lives Matter movement changed the conversation about Black history and race?
What do you know about the Harlem Renaissance and its cultural impact?
How do different countries approach teaching about colonialism and its connection to Black history?
What do you think about the growing field of African history that challenges Eurocentric narratives?
How do you feel about the representation of Black people in mainstream media and film?
What do you think about the concept of reparations for slavery?
How has Black music influenced global culture?
Do you think racism is more or less of a problem today than it was fifty years ago?
How do you feel about the way some countries celebrate Black History Month versus others that do not?
What is one piece of Black history that you think more people should know?
How does understanding the history of colonialism help us understand current global inequalities?
What role do Black artists, writers, and thinkers play in shaping how the world sees Black history?
How do you feel about the phrase 'I don't see colour' as a response to conversations about race?
Do you think history education is genuinely improving in terms of diversity, or is progress slow?
What is one Black-led social movement from history that you find particularly compelling?
How has the internet changed access to Black history and perspectives?
What does it mean to decolonise a curriculum?
How do you think future generations will judge how our society handled issues of race?
Advanced
Is one month enough, or does dedicating a single month to Black history actually let the rest of the curriculum off the hook?
Should Black History Month exist as a separate observance, or should Black history be woven into every history lesson without special designation?
Is the way Black History Month is celebrated in corporate settings genuine, or largely performative?
How does the version of Black history taught in US schools compare to what is taught in the UK, and what does the difference reveal?
Do you think the mainstream narrative of Black history, focused on suffering and triumph over oppression, misses important complexity?
Should countries that profited from slavery pay reparations, and if so, who pays and who receives?
Is there a tension between celebrating individual Black heroes and examining the systemic causes of racism?
How do you feel about the argument that removing statues erases history rather than correcting it?
Is it possible to teach the history of slavery, colonialism, and civil rights in a way that does not make white students feel defensive?
Does the framing of race as a social construct help or hinder conversations about the real, material consequences of racism?
Is Black Lives Matter a civil rights movement comparable to those of the 1960s, or something fundamentally different?
How do you respond to the argument that focusing on Black history creates division rather than unity?
What does the global spread of African American cultural influence, from music to sport to language, tell us about power and creativity?
Is the phrase 'diversity and inclusion' in institutions actually producing change, or mostly producing paperwork?
How do you think about the relationship between acknowledging historical injustice and moving forward?
Is it possible to be anti-racist without actively working against racism?
Does the way a country talks about its history of racism reveal more than the history itself?
Should schools teach children about race explicitly and early, or does that create distinctions children would not otherwise make?
How do you feel about the idea that certain spaces, cultural forms, or conversations are 'for' Black people in a way that excludes others?
Is allyship a meaningful concept, or does it place the burden on oppressed groups to educate and validate supporters?
How do you explain the persistence of racial inequality in countries that legally banned discrimination decades ago?
Is there a risk that Black History Month focuses on American and British history at the expense of African history?
How do mixed-race identities complicate simple narratives about Black history and Black identity?
Should history museums and national institutions be required to represent Black history prominently, not just in temporary exhibitions?
If you could change one thing about how schools teach the history of race, slavery, and civil rights, what would it be?