The African American History Month website by the Library of Congress (see Resources) contains links to useful resources held in national museums and archives. A wealth of documents are available online, including letters and diaries by African American leaders and artists, photographs of black soldiers in World War I, and lesson plans for teaching students about the work of African American artists. Working with the original documents will let students experience the day-to-day lives of historical figures. Because these are original historical documents, including court records and legal papers, some are quite complex and more suitable for older students.
The Scholastic publishing company hosts a variety of activities, videos, and documents on its website. Many are geared toward younger children, although there are some resources suitable for young adults. A wide range of topics is covered in sections titled "Celebrate African American Heritage" and "Culture and Change," from the arrival of the first African slaves in North America to the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. Although the two sections overlap somewhat, "Celebrate African American Heritage" focuses more on history in general, while "Culture and Change" presents more stories about individuals.
Most libraries and local museums host special events during African American History Month. All year, many other museums still focus on black history, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., the African American Museum of Philadelphia, the California African American Museum in Los Angeles, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, the Tubman African American Museum in Macon, Georgia, and many others. Find museums in your own state through the Association of African American Museums database (see Resources).
Black history in the U.S. is only one part of the worldwide story of the African diaspora. A number of useful online resources for black history in the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe can also be found online, such as the British National Archive's online exhibit on black history or the University of Virginia's online display of African masks and art. Stanford University also maintains a collection of links about African history for K-12 students.