In my work related to culturally responsive literacy instruction, I have found many things to be true, and this one thing is for certain: All children need to learn Black history and the excellence therein.

Over the years, many teachers have expressed the need for more meaningful Black history resources. Stories of Excellence and the L.I.F.E. Framework are a response to that need.

In the field of Education, we often purport the imperativeness of research-based practices, however, we often neglect the volumes of research that consistently show:

• The importance and effectiveness of curriculum that affirms Black children in the context of their racial identities.
• That all students develop deeper understandings and appreciation for communities of color when those stories are included as a part of the curriculum.

These resources that I have created with educators are grounded in that research. They center justice and joy in learning and foster literacy development in meaningful ways. We also made sure they could be easily embedded in lesson plans and aligned with the standards.

But, please know, for me this is bigger than lesson plans and standards. The work that must be done is to truly touch the lives of children so that they can enter school as their full selves, truly valued for who they are and what they bring to learning spaces. So one day, they too can share their own Story of Excellence.

                                                     -Natasha Thornton, Ph.D