She was born in Newport News, VA. She was a jazz singer. McGriff said bringing history alive kept her students curious and asking questions, and she's hoping the overall project will give them the confidence to know that, like these historic figures, they can be great, too.
Benn was the first African American superintendent for Suffolk Public Schools, McGriff wrote.
Be in the know. Every February we celebrate a special holiday. She was sometimes referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella!
On February 10, she glammed it up as Ella Fitzgerald.
"That's what I remember, having a teacher come dressed as a storybook character. February 27, 2020 / 12:30 PM Once McGriff started dressing up, she kept going. This week, she taught kids about Virginia native Maggie L. Walker, the first black bank president in America.
First grade teacher LaToya Smith McGriff dressed up like a different historical figure for each day of Black History Month.
And no, we're not talking Valentine's Day.We're referring to the 28 days we dedicate to honoring Black History Month, our nation's way of showing respect and recognition for the hard work and sacrifices made by African Americans.
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Then she wore boxing gloves to become Laila Ali, boxer and daughter of Muhammad Ali.
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In years gone by, October has been the only time of year when the UK talks about the achievements of Black people in Britain. What happens if the president doesn't accept the election results? The following day she was educator and presidential adviser, Booker T. Washington; then she was ballerina Misty Copeland, and then Florence Bowser, a Suffolk teacher who taught in a one-room schoolhouse for African American students. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. She shared a photo of herself in 1960s attire, like Jackson would've worn when she worked for NASA. McGriff wore a green aviation jumpsuit to transform into Lt. Col. Howard Baugh, "a decorated veteran of World War II and a member of the Tuskegee Airmen," she said. Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. Then she was James Lafayette, a double agent during the Revolutionary War, and Henrietta Lacks, who has human cells named after her (HeLa cells). By February 18, McGriff's Black History Month lessons were starting to gain traction online. / CBS News. Well, I could dress up as a different figure, an African American figure past or present so they can see themselves represented," McGriff said. Jackson was one of the three "human computers" profiled in the book and film "Hidden Figures," which shed light on the African-American female mathematicians whose efforts helped put men on the moon.
On February 7, she was another Suffolk native, Colonel Fred Cherry, who was the first and highest ranking African American officer among U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War, according to McGriff. She told WAVY the seeds for this project were planted in her years ago, by a teacher who did something similar. Here she is Lt. Col. Howard Baugh, Ella Fitzgerald, and Arthur Ashe. Many history lessons fall short, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon on the trailblazers who inspired them, Teacher dresses up as black trailblazer every day of month. Next, she was Mack Benn, Jr., a Suffolk, Virginia native who had a strong connection to the school. McGriff has two more school days left in February to dress up like iconic figures, and she will likely reveal her final costumes on Facebook, as she has throughout the month. Are you going to be so-and-so?'
"She was a mathematician who worked as an aeronautical engineer whom people referred to as a human computer," McGriff wrote on Facebook. By Caitlin O'Kane February 27, 2020 / 12:30 PM / CBS News
Today I was Ella Fitzgerald! Wearing a sparkly dress fit for a music icon, McGriff taught her students about the jazz singer. "My students will want to know who I will be tomorrow. Britt. How do I vote in my state in the 2020 election? She was interviewed by CBS News affiliate WAVY, and said she works at majority-black school and "wanted [students] to see that people who look like them contribute.". "He is the first African American doctor in America to have an endowed chair in surgery at a Medical School," she wrote on Facebook. Latoya McGriff is a first-grade teacher at Creekside Elementary School in Suffolk, Virginia. Did you learn about Juneteenth in school? A first grade teacher from Suffolk, Virginia found a way to teach her students about black history by taking them back in time to meet celebrated black figures.
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Election Day could turn into "Election Week" with rise in mail ballots, Teacher dresses up for Black History Month.
First published on February 27, 2020 / 12:30 PM. On February 4, she wore athletic gear and held a tennis racket – she was Arthur Ashe, the first African-American man to win the U.S. Open. Today, they just said 'Are you going to be Barack Obama?
To celebrate Black History Month, this Virginia-based teacher is bringing history to life. Here at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, this Black history month is particularly special because we’re celebrating our anniversary – we’re 110 years young, and we’re challenging all of our supporters to celebrate Black history a different way each day. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. © 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Because they want to know and kind of prepare themselves for it so they can tell me something they know about that person," she said. First grade teacher dresses up as a different black trailblazer every day of Black History Month.
For each day of Black History Month, LaToya McGriff has dressed up like a famous African-American trailblazer and taught her students about their significant contributions to the U.S. She kicked off her creative lessons on Monday, February 3, when she dressed up as Virginia native Mary Jackson. Battleground Tracker: Biden gains edge in Arizona, leads big in Minnesota, With more mail-in ballots, officials urge patience on election night, Americans and the right to vote: Why it's not easy for everyone, Why some mail-in ballots are rejected and how to make sure your vote counts.
That day, McGriff dressed up as Dr. L.D. Black History Month 2020 is a time to look forward and celebrate the here and now – and the future possibilities.
This year, McGriff decided to dress up as a different African American historical figure every school day during Black History Month.