5 Texts for Black History Month (And Beyond!)

Written By Aisha Christa Atkinson

Excerpted from a February 2021 publication by The Secondary ELA Coffee Shop

Beyoncé’s 2020 Commencement

This speech is timely, motivational, and full of truth from an icon. Your students will appreciate these moments of vulnerability and encouragement from Queen B.

Aisha Atkinson from The Lit Sensei has an excellent Rhetorical Analysis resource for helping students analyze this speech. One part of this analysis that I enjoy is examining the cultural weight of Beyoncé’s words and digging deeper into the allusions she makes.

For more, visit The Secondary ELA Coffee Shop
Aisha Christa Atkinson

Aisha Christa Atkinson is an award-winning instructional leader, education scholar, and writer whose work centers on inclusive leadership, literacy development, and the design of supportive school communities. She serves as Assistant Principal at Stafford Early Childhood Center in Texas and was named Stafford MSD District Professional of the Year (2025) and the 71st Texas Mother of the Year by American Mothers, Inc. (2023). Her writing has appeared in Education Week, Edutopia, Texas Voices, Teacher2Teacher, and Advocate for Me Magazine, where she examines instructional leadership, differentiated instruction, and systems that cultivate belonging. Aisha holds advanced degrees in Educational Administration and English Education and writes at the intersection of practice, policy, and purpose.

https://www.aishacatkinson.com
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