What does it mean to be a member of the African Diaspora? Through conversations with African American and Black community members and others, we have learned that diaspora means any people living outside of their homeland. So, the Japanese Diaspora represents individuals of Japanese heritage living outside of Japan. MOOSE uses African Diaspora as an inclusive umbrella term to include African-Americans, Blacks, and People of Color whose people were brought to British North American as part of the middle passage Atlantic slave trade and those from sub-Saharan Africa who have entered America in various ways since then.
Black Joy and community strength are centered across the learning progression as students explore identity, belonging, local history, and contemporary stories connected to Maine’s African diaspora.
Explore the Modules
Black Joy flows regeneratively through communities of color in Maine. The learning progression begins by prompting our youngest learners to explore how Maine families experience joy.
Students explore the idea of community and how its citizens bring forth change, traveling through local history from barbershops to the Maine State House.
Students examine Maine’s lesser-known relationship to slavery and enslavement, while Black Joy remains a vital throughline.
High school students explore Maine artists and historical and contemporary stories, centering Joy and achievement rather than pain or exploitation.
Special thanks to the community advisors that worked with the Instructional Designers on this journey: Heidi Allen, Meadow Dibble, James Ford, Dr. Lance Gibbs, Seth Goldstein, Kate McBrien, and Patricia Roseway.