Board game titled 'Guess Who? Sheroes and Heroes Edition' with a custom game board featuring photographs of notable individuals, including Maya Angelou.

Miss Melisa and I are all about trying new things. We will also try to use an idea and elevate it to make it unique. While researching ideas for a Black History Month-themed craft or activity, we noticed there were a lot of activities that have been done many times before. We also found in our research that the inspiration for many crafts and activities were people whose stories were well-known, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. All of a sudden, Miss Melisa said, “We should make a Guess Who? game!” I loved this idea and knew immediately that we should center the game around the sheroes and heroes that The Third Institute featured in their monthly Roots videos.

Using the original Guess Who? board game and a template that we found online from Etsy, we found it was fairly easy to customize the game. We provided the face cards and mystery cards, so all that is left to do is cut the cards out and insert them into the gameboard. The challenge would be playing the game, especially if you don’t know much about the people.

We decided to create a helpful guide that includes a brief introduction to each shero and hero. Thanks to the Roots videos and several great books in the library’s collection, we learned so much about these amazing people. Learn more about them by watching Roots on YouTube and checking out these great books!

Book cover titled "100 African Americans Who Changed American History" featuring a historical photograph of an African American woman and an American flag graphic.

100 African Americans Who Changed American History by Chrisanne Beckner

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Illustrated portrait of Benjamin Banneker holding papers and standing next to a surveyor's tool, with trees and mountains in the background.

Benjamin Banneker by Katie Marsico

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Book cover of "Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World," featuring illustrated portraits of several African American women against a blue background.

Brave, Black, First: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World by Cheryl Willis Hudson

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A man in a captain's uniform steers a boat at night, with a fort in the background. The book title is "The Escape of Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery.

The Escape of Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery by Jehan Jones-Radgowski

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The cover of "VIP: Lewis Latimer" by Denise Lewis Patrick shows Latimer in a suit holding a glowing light bulb, with the text "Engineering Wizard" on a yellow banner.

Lewis Latimer: Engineering Wizard by Denise Lewis Patrick

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Book cover illustration for "Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring," showing a woman holding a lantern with historic scenes and the White House in the background.

Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring by Enigma Alberti

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Illustration of Rebecca Lee Crumpler holding a book and a medical instrument, standing in front of a window and a vase with flowers. Text reads "Leaders Like Us: Rebecca Lee Crumpler.

Rebecca Lee Crumpler by J.P. Miller

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Book cover titled "Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies" featuring images of notable Black figures and cultural symbols.

Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies from DK Publishing

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Book cover of "We Are the Change" showing two people standing behind red, white, and blue striped curtains; subtitle reads "Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders.

We Are the Change: Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders by Selina Alko

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