February is Black History Month! You can learn about the history and establishment of Black History Month and access additional resources at blackhistorymonth.gov, which is a “collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.”

In LPS, we recognize that our teachers and schools are practicing inclusion year-round, and we value diversity in our community. Please check with your neighborhood school to see how Black History Month is being celebrated there!

The photo in the carousel and accompanying this Newsroom story was taken in January at Dr. Justina Ford Elementary School. Dr. Justina Ford Elementary School was named after a profound contributor to the Denver-area community. As stated on the school’s website, Dr. Justina Ford was a medical pioneer and Denver’s first licensed African American female doctor. To celebrate Dr. Justina Ford’s birthday, the school invited some special visitors: a community member who was delivered by Dr. Ford as well as Eleise Clark (pictured above with Ford's GT facilitator, Allie Slocum), an actress who has portrayed Dr. Ford and knows a lot about her life. Both these visitors interacted with students in various settings as part of the event. The school continues to have a relationship with the Black American West Museum, which is located in Dr. Justina Ford’s house in Denver.