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Water Cooler: Fun YouTube videos to learn more about Black history

Dr. Mae C. Jemison addresses congressional representatives and distinguished guests at Bayer’s Making Science Make Sense 20th anniversary celebration on Sept. 10, 2015, in Washington, D.C. You can learn about Jemison by watching an educational video on her by The Wise Channel. (Associated Press)
By Rachel Baker rachelb@spokesman.com(509) 459-5583

Black History Month presents a great opportunity to learn, but a lot of the topics of conversation can be a bit nuanced and serious for young kids to digest. If you want to share some Black history with your children but need fun and accessible ways to do so, here are a few YouTube videos that may help.

“Kids Explain Black History Month” posted by Global Citizen - A group of grade school students discusses what they think Black History Month is and why it is important to them.

“PBS LEARNING MEDIA | Black History Month” posted by PBS KIDS – Fun graphics and sound effects help illustrate the inception of Black History Month as well as show several notable Black historical figures such as Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth.

“Black History Month – Black Scientists and Inventors Part 1” posted by 88 Brains - Learn about prominent figures such as Daniel Hale Williams, who performed the world’s first successful heart surgery in 1893; George Washington Carver, an agricultural scientist who developed innovative techniques to improve soil after it was depleted by repeated cotton plantings as well as multiple new peanut products; and Garrett A. Morgan, who invented the three-position traffic signal and the predecessor to the gas mask, a smoke hood.

“DR. MAE JEMISON (First Black Woman Astronaut)” posted by The Wise Channel - This channel is dedicated to celebrating, “African Americans who did amazing things,” but this fascinating episode focuses specifically on Mae Jemison, an engineer, physician and former NASA astronaut who joined the astronaut corps in 1987.

“Family & Heritage | Black History Month For Kids” posted by Hip Hop Harry - Harry and the kids discuss their favorite family stories and traditions they learned about from their relatives. They discuss the importance and purpose of Black History Month and some of the prominent figures it celebrates.

“The Story of Martin Luther King Jr. by Kid President” posted by SoulPancake - Kid President lets his audience know that Martin Luther King Jr. used to be a kid just like him, and that he grew up to be an important man. He discusses how King realized that things could be better and encourages all his fellow kids to follow their dreams too.

“Celebrate Black History Month w/ Nickelodeon!” posted by Nickelodeon - This video talks about how some enslaved Africans were able to pass down their cultural traditions such as basket weaving, dancing and drumming, for their African American descendants to enjoy and practice today.

“Selma Burke: Artist – Biography – Kids Book Read Aloud” posted by The Children’s Storytime Bookshelf - This read along features the picture book, “Selma Burke: Artist,” written by Garnet Nelson Jackson and illustrated by Cheryl Hanna.

“Kids Black History | Learn About African Hair” posted by KidsBlackHistory - Host Raiyah is full of enthusiasm and loves her hair. She shares different hairstyles that came from African culture and talks about the things that make her hair special.

“GloZell Meets MLK ft. Todrick Hall” posted by GloBugz - GloBugz is a silly and fun channel for children ages 2 through 6 featuring educational and comedy videos. GloZell hosts the channel from a magical forest where imagination lights up. In this episode, she meets up with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to talk about different forms of protest used during the Civil Rights Movement and today.