I Love Black History Month, and You Should Too: 4 Ways to Celebrate It This Month

Black History Month (AKA African-American Month) is a month-long celebration during the month of February that is dedicated to the contributions and achievements African-Americans have made throughout history. In 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month for the first time and he pushed society to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”. It is important to observe Black History Month, where or not you identify as Black or not, because the opportunity to learn more of national and world history and a particular culture is present, in order to be more culturally aware, mindful, and respectful of those who may be different from you. Imagine if someone decided to judge you due to the stereotypes and assumptions that are perpetuated. That person who made the decision to judge you firsthand has no clue about what you have gone through, or what you have accomplished. It’s unfair. Imagine never learning about all the great things you know today about African-Americans who have done a lot of good, like Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglas, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Maya Angelou, etc. By celebrating Black History Month, one can participate in the spread of cultural awareness and challenges that African-Americans have gone through, as well as their achievements and contributions throughout history. We as Americans can further our strive for cultural awareness, diversity, inclusion, and engagement of the community, by observing Black History Month. If you are confused as to how you can participate in Black History Month, here are some ways:

1. Research — Go to a library and check out readings on African-American figures and history, speeches by historical activists, poetry written by African-American poets, like Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, books like Roots, etc. You can also go to a local museum that highlights the history, contributions, and achievements of African-Americans. Check and see if you can take a class at a university on Black History. You could even conduct from research from your own home by using Internet search engines.
2. Talk — Talk to someone you know that is African-American and ask them questions about their history and customs. The person should have no problem being open to you about this, but it important to not be ignorant, and to keep an open mind while maintaining respect. Don’t let your lack of knowledge interfere with your manners.
3. Listen to Music — And I am not referring to modern rap/hip-hop/R&B artists. I encourage you to time travel a bit. Listen to Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Berry, Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, etc.
4. Watch Movies — Research and you will see that there are so many movies with African-American actors and actresses. You can even watch a movie that highlights the historical struggles of African-Americans during slavery and segregation, like Lee Daniel’s The Butler starring Forrest Whittaker and Oprah Winifrey, or The Help starring Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and even Emma Stone (Those are my favorites), or even a comedy or drama, like Little Man starring the Wayan brothers and Kerry Washington, No Good Deed starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, or The Perfect Guy starring Sanaa Lathan, Michael Ealy, and Morris Chestnut. Roots came out with a 2016 miniseries. It’s lengthy, but it is raw and suspenseful. All you need is access to the Internet and you can Google to your heart’s content.

Ever since I was in fourth grade and we learned about slavery and African-American figures and history, I have always had an immense passion for Black History. As someone who is foreign, I try to be as aware as possible of other cultures around me, and I take pride in my ability and willingness to do so. If there is anything that has always been important to me, it is diversity and inclusion, and I love meeting new people and learning new things. I have the chance to explore perspectives different than my own, gain deeper appreciation and knowledge about something that I may not have been totally aware of, and witness the light in someone’s eyes as they talk about their culture that has proven to be a place of belonging for them. That is why I enjoy the month of February. You may not realize it, but there are so many ways around you that you can observe the month of Black History. I highly suggest you do so, and not only in the month of February, but as much as possible.