Ideas to celebrate Black History Month
Timothy Daube
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Black culture is woven through American history in music, literature, food, politics and more. Find new ways to honor Black history this month.
February is Black History Month, a time to honor the essential contributions of Black people in the story of America. National and local events and online celebrations will take place throughout the month to focus attention on Black people's achievements and history.?
Since 1976, the US has officially marked the contributions of Black people and celebrated the history and culture of the Black experience in America every February. Read on to learn more about Black History Month and how you can participate.
The story of Black History Month
Born as a sharecropper in 1875, Carter G. Woodson went on to become a teacher and the second African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard. He founded the?Association for the Study of African American Life and History?in 1915 and was eventually known as the "father of Black history."
On Feb. 7, 1926, Woodson announced the creation of "Negro History Week" to encourage and expand the teaching of Black history in schools. He selected February because the month marks the birthday of the two most famous abolitionists of the time -- Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Feb. 1 is also National Freedom Day, a celebration of the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the US.
By the 1940s, schools in Woodson's home state of West Virginia had begun expanding the celebration to a month, and by the 1960s, demands for proper Black history education spread across the country. Kent State's?Black United Students?proposed the idea of a Black History month in 1969 and celebrated the first event in February 1970. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976 during the US bicentennial.?
The excellent history site?BlackPast?has a full biography of?Carter Woodson?and the origins of Black History Month.?
1. Visit a Black or African American history museum
Almost every state in the US has a?Black history museum?or?African American heritage site. The country's first and oldest is the?Hampton University Museum?in Hampton, Virginia. Like many other museums, it offers a virtual tour and online exhibits.
One of the most famous of these museums is the?National Civil Rights Museum?at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum, which is located steps away from where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, allows you to?sit with Rosa Parks?on the bus that inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, among many other powerful exhibits.
African-American heritage sites include historic parks and other significant locations and monuments in Black history. Some of the most popular include?Little Rock Central High School?in Arkansas, the epicenter of US school desegregation. You could also consider visiting the?Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park?in Atlanta.
If there's no museum or heritage site near you, keep an eye out for the?Black History Mobile Museum, which traverses the country all February and through early summer.
2. Learn about Black music history by listening online
From spirituals and blues to the rise of jazz, R&B and hip hop, Black music has been entwined with American culture for centuries.?
There are lots of ways to learn about and experience the power of Black American music online. One of the most extensive and free resources is the?Black Music History Library, created by Jenzia Burgos. The compendium includes an array of Black music sources, with links to music samples, full recordings and interviews, as well as books and articles.
Another remarkable Black music website is the?#312 Soul?project. Originally launched as a month-long series on Chicago's Black music from 1955 to 1990, the site adds?original stories from Chicago residents?about their personal experiences creating and enjoying Black music.
For snapshots of Black music between 1982 and 1999, check out the?Hip Hop Radio Archive, a collection of radio show recordings from commercial, college and independent hip-hop stations. Of particular note are classic radio shows from?New York City's WBLS, featuring?Rap Attack?with Marley Marl and Mr. Magic.
Online streaming music services also curate collections for Black History Month -- Spotify has an extensive collection of Black music in its?Black History is Now?collection.?Tidal?and?Amazon Prime Music?also include special Black music collections on their services.
3. Support Black-owned businesses and restaurants
Becoming a customer of local Black businesses helps protect livelihoods and supports Black entrepreneurs.
If you aren't sure which businesses in your area are owned and operated by your Black neighbors, several resources can help. Start off by learning?how to find Black-owned restaurants where you live.?
Several directories have now been created to highlight and promote Black businesses.?Official Black Wall Street?is one of the original services that list businesses owned by members of the Black community.
Support Black Owned?uses a simple search tool to help you find Black businesses,?Shop Black Owned?is an open-source tool operating in eight US cities, and?EatOkra?specifically helps people find Black-owned restaurants. Also,?We Buy Black?offers an online marketplace for Black businesses.
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The online boutique Etsy?highlights Black-owned vendors?on its website -- many of these shop owners are women selling jewelry and unique art pieces. And if you're searching for make-up or hair products, check CNET's own list of?Black-owned beauty brands.
4. Donate to Black organizations and charities
Donating money to a charity is an important way to support a movement or group, and your monetary contribution can help fund programs and pay for legal costs and salaries that keep an organization afloat. Your employer may agree to match employee donations, which would double the size of your contribution -- ask your HR department.
Nonprofit organizations require reliable, year-round funding to do their work. Rather than a lump sum, consider a monthly donation. Even if the amount seems small, your donation combined with others can help provide a steady stream of funds that allows programs to operate.
Here are some non-profit organizations advancing Black rights and equal justice and supporting Black youth:
5. Attend local Black History Month events
Many cities, schools, and local organizations will host events celebrating Black History Month in February 2022.?Check your local newspaper or city website to see what events are happening in your area -- for example,?Atlanta,?Chicago,?Dallas,?Baltimore,?Seattle?and?Louisville, Kentucky, have extensive events planned this month.
If you can't find anything in your area or don't want to attend events in person, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, is offering?online Black History Month events?nearly every day in February.
6. Watch Black history documentaries and movies
You can find movies and documentaries exploring the Black experience right now on?Netflix, Disney Plus and other streaming services.?
The CNET staff has compiled a?selection of feature films and documentaries?for Black History Month 2022, including the wonderful Summer of Soul and Black is King.?Netflix,?Amazon Prime Video?and?Hulu?all have special collections of streaming movies and shows for Black History Month.
PBS also offers?several free video documentary collections, which include smaller chunks of Black history for all ages. The collections include subjects like the?Freedom Riders, the 1963?March on Washington?and the?Rise and Fall of Jim Crow.
7. Find Black authors and stories for yourself and your children
There are so many great books to read in Black History Month, but where to start? Try your local library. Many will have Black History Month collections for both adults and kids.
Libraries will also often have Black History Month book recommendations by age. The?San Diego Public Library, the?Detroit Public Library?and?DC Public Library, for example, have programs and collections to browse for adults and children.
Next try Black booksellers. The?No Name Book Club, dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, has compiled a?list of Black-owned bookshops across the US. The club also highlights two books a month by writers of color -- this February's selections are?Salvation by bell hooks?and?The Nation On No Map by William C. Anderson.
8. Dive deeper into Black history with online resources
You can find remarkable Black history collections on government, educational and media sites. One of the best is the aforementioned BlackPast, which hosts a large collection of?primary documents from African American history, dating back to 1724.
The?National Archives?also hosts a large collection of records, photos, news articles and videos documenting Black heritage in America. The expansive?National Museum of African American History & Culture's Black History Month collection?is likewise full of unique articles, videos and learning materials.
Ms. Magazine has honored the?200th birthday of Harriet Tubman?with a compilation of articles, verse, photos and other educational resources related to the freedom fighter who became a national icon. Curated by University of Albany professor Janell Hobson, the site will continue to add new material throughout February.
The?New York Times' 1619 Project?tracks the history of Black Americans from the first arrival of enslaved people in Virginia. The Pulitzer Center hosts the?full issue of The 1619 Project as a PDF?file on its?1619 Education site, which also offers reading guides, activity lessons and reporting related to the project.
You can buy?The 1619 Project?and the children's picture book version --?The 1619 Project: Born on the Water?-- as printed books or?donate a copy?of The 1619 Project to a school or organization.