Farmers Insurance Group Announces National Black History Educational Initiative for Educators
LOS ANGELES
Farmers Insurance Group has partnered with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) to bring African-American history to life in classrooms around the country through a new and exciting documentary film — “Freedom’s Song: 100 Years of African-American Struggle and Triumph.”
The “Freedom’s Song” program will officially launch in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 16, but other cities are on the horizon, including Colorado Springs on Feb. 17, Los Angeles on Feb. 21 and Washington, D.C., on Feb. 24.
The documentary highlights significant milestones in the history of the African-American experience during the past century. It includes living testimonials designed to put a personal face on the actual historical events featured in the film.
ASALH has been on the front lines of helping to promote, research, preserve, interpret and disseminate information about African-American life, history and culture to the global community.
“We are the founders of African-American History Month, which started as African-American History week back when Dr. Carter G. Woodson began this celebration more than 90 years ago,” said Sylvia Cyrus-Albritton, executive director of ASALH. “While we have made progress in 90 years, there is still so much work to be done. When you talk about the Niagara Movement, the Tulsa Riots, the Million Man March, these are significant moments in American history but are rarely told in such a way that students can relate and embrace the importance of the event. With `Freedom’s Song,’ history is once again being made thanks to Farmers.”
The “Freedom’s Song” package will be free to educators and will include a DVD copy of the film, downloadable lesson plans and an interactive Web site that will be continually updated with audio and video content. A team of professors from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs received an additional grant from Farmers to develop the lesson plans. Some of the interviews are with notable African-Americans such as Dr. Dorothy Height, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dr. John Hope Franklin, etc.
For more information about “Freedom’s Song” and how educators may order the program, visit <www.freedomssong.net>
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