In February, as many of us sit up a little straighter, delve into our history a little deeper and celebrate Black History a lot louder, we should also celebrate Black love and its various manifestations. At Black Youth Project, this month we are putting special spotlights on Black joy and Black love.

In that spirit, we celebrate a young Black woman who expressed love for a Black girl named August, her student. Pre-K teacher Leigh Bishop says August thought Bishop was flattering her when she complimented the girl’s braided hairstyle, but was not certain if her teacher actually loved it.

“Ok, Ms. Bishop,” the girl said before rolling her eyes. “Don’t be mad at me when I come to school with my hair JUST like that tomorrow,” Bishop told her. The next day, Bishop did just that. 

As a teacher, you have the power to not only teach your students but to also model grace and affirm their identities. Bishops’s gesture will undoubtedly remain a positive academic association for August going forward. 

While people near and far celebrate Bishop’s thoughtfulness, the Sugarland, Texas-based teacher shared her desire to affirm her students. “Any chance I get to make a student feel whole and important, I take it! Plus I really loved her hair,” she wrote.