Honoring 250 Years of American History Through a New Lens
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the 2025 American Library Association Emerging Leaders Team D, Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), and the Program for Research on Black Americans (PRBA) at the University of Michigan have worked together to create a toolkit that can be used by any library to promote, understand, and commemorate a complex time in the history of the United States.
About the America at 250 Toolkit
The goal of the America at 250 Black Perspectives of the Founding Era Toolkit is to elevate and amplify the voices, contributions, and agency of Black Americans during the Revolutionary period. This initiative seeks to broaden public understanding of the Founding era through a more inclusive historical lens. One of the primary goals was to create a comprehensive, user-friendly educational Toolkit that supports libraries, educators, and community organizations in facilitating conversations about the Black experience in early America.
What You’ll Discover Inside the Toolkit
The project intends to promote civic engagement and historical reflection by providing content that is interactive, accessible, and adaptable across a range of communities and settings. A core element of this goal is ensuring that the materials support deeper engagement through community forums, supplemental resources, and inclusive programming ideas. Ultimately, the Toolkit is designed to contribute to the national “America at 250” conversation by showcasing Black historical perspectives as essential to the founding narrative of the United States.
📘 America at 250 Toolkit
Price: $0.00 (Free Resource)A comprehensive, user-friendly resource developed by ALA’s 2025 Emerging Leaders Team D and partners. This free toolkit offers educational materials, program templates, and activities that elevate Black perspectives in early American history.
- Interactive, accessible learning content
- Community program templates and educator guides
- Supplemental PowerPoint and Jeopardy-style resources
- Visual materials such as commemorative button designs
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How Libraries and Communities Can Use the Toolkit
- Jeopardy-Style Game: Engage participants with a fun, educational trivia experience.
- Book Discussions: Facilitate reading groups exploring Black narratives in early America.
- Community Forums: Encourage dialogue about equality, freedom, and civic engagement.
- Workshops & Exhibits: Showcase toolkit visuals like button designs for community displays.
Buttons Created for America at 250
The 2025 ALA Emerging Leaders Team D also designed buttons as part of the project. The images below can be copied and pasted into software like Photoshop and resized to fit large or small buttons
Trivia/Jeopardy-Style Game
Sample trivia questions and a sample Jeopardy PowerPoint have been created based on the existing themes of the toolkit. You can utilize and/or revise the PowerPoint at the link below.
Contact the America at 250 Team & Social Media
Email us at: [email protected]
If you use the toolkit at your institution, be sure to let us know!
When posting on social media use #black250toolkit or tag @BCALA