Celebrating Black History Month
Poster of peaceful protesters reminding everyone of Black History Month, made by Rory Brennan
Celebrating Black History Month
Rory Brennan'21
Editor-in-Chief of Design
History.com describes “Black History Month [as] an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.”
History
Founders of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now known as Association for the Study of African American Life and History), Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland, were dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other people of African descent.
Before Black History Month existed, it was still celebrated during February but ONLY for a week! The organization picked the second week of the month, chosen in 1926, to purposely coincide with Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. The decision to instill the celebration week led to schools and communities nationwide organizing local celebrations and establishing history clubs and host performances. For the next few decades following across the US, smaller leaders, like mayors, made announcements recognizing the week.
Leave it to the youth to make a change; in the late 1960s, with help from the civil rights movement, many college campuses had evolved to celebrating for the whole month of February. In 1976, Black History Month was finally recognized by President Gerald Ford in a speech. Since then, it has been recognized by every president that February is Black History Month
Graphic made by Rory Brennan showcasing the 2021 theme
2021 Theme
The theme for this year’s Black History Month is The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity. The theme is centered around exploring the African diaspora and the spread of Black families across the United States and Africa itself. According to history.com, diaspora is defined as “any group migration or flight from a country or region.” These themes explore the experience of the Black family in America as it relates to the diaspora that many feel due to the widespread loss of knowledge and history surrounding their families.
Ways to Celebrate
Support Black-Owned Businesses
Here are a few examples:
Briogeo Partake Foods The Honey Pot
Books To Read
“We Should All Be Feminists” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Between the World and Me” - Ta-Nehisi Coates
“What We Lose Novel” - Zinzi Clemmons
“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Book” - Michelle Alexander
Places To Donate
Black Lives Matter Thurgood Marshall College Fund Black Girls CODE
More Information Here Click For More Donate here!
TV Shows/Movies To Watch
"13th” - Netflix
“Get Out” - Hulu
“Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea” - Netflix
“Fruitvale Station” - Netflix
Now that you know all about the history of Black History Month and all the ways to celebrate, go and put yourself to use! Happy Black History Month!