When everyone told them "no" or "you can't," these fearless women persisted. Armed with their knowledge, strength, and willpower, they pushed beyond the barriers. February is African American History Month and this week, we look at bold women, past and present, who saw a challenge and rose above it to create progress for others. Join us for a program and you'll be inspired to overcome what stands in your way!
READ: Molly, By Golly! By Dianne Ochiltree
Introduces the first known female firefighter, Molly Williams, an African American cook for New York City's Fire Company 11, who one winter day in 1818 with many volunteers sick with influenza jumped into action to stop a house fire.
PLAY: Significant African-American Women Quiz
Test your knowledge and learn some facts about famous African-American Women and their achievements with this quiz.
EXPLORE: Make a Vision Board
Think about what you'd like to do in the future, including who and what inspires you, and what steps you need to take to achieve your goal.
Supplies:
- Posterboard
- Scissors
- Liquid glue or glue stick
- Tape
- Markers
- Magazines and/or printouts from websites
- Assorted craft embellishments, like stickers, gems, buttons, washi tape, etc.
Instructions:
- To help guide the direction of your project, ask yourself the following questions:
- What words inspire you?
- What is important to you right now?
- Which famous people (living or dead) inspire you and why?
- What places in the world would you like to visit?
- What kind of contribution do you want to make to the world (for older kids)?
- Look through magazines or websites for graphics, pictures, and words that you'd like to use (if using websites, print out pictures and words).
- Carefully use the scissors to cut out the words and pictures. Arrange your cut out materials on the posterboard. Spend some time on this step, thinking about how you want to arrange them. Do you want them in organized sections or do you want a random arrangement?
- Once you've put everything where you want it to be, use glue and tape to secure items to the posterboard.
- Use markers, stickers, and any other craft supplies you'd like to embellish your vision board.
- When finished, hang your vision board somewhere you will see it every day to remind you of your goals and to keep working toward them. Be inspired by your dreams and make them happen!
