70+ ideas to kick off Black History Month
February 1st is the first day of Black History Month, which is supposed to be a time to celebrate the history of Black people and their contributions. Personally, I feel it should be celebrated year-round because Black history is our history. Black history is American history. Our country exists and has always existed on the literal blood, sweat, and toil of Black bodies.
We need to honor and celebrate the Black artists, abolitionists, scientists, and others who have contributed to the culture at large. We need to support Black businesses and entrepeneurs. We also need to be brave and honest enough to tell the truth about the darker sides of American history, like chattel slavery and Jim Crow laws. And finally, we need to remember that this month is not simply celebrating Black voices who are calm, cool, and collected. We need to make space for and listen deeply to Black grief, Black rage, those preaching the gospel of liberation. As my dude Laurens from Hamilton rightly sings, “We’ll never be truly free / Until those in bondage / Have the same rights as you and me.”
So, to that end, I present a nowhere-near-comprehensive list of ways you can engage in Black History Month. You can also visit 28daysofblackhistory.com, enter your email address, and receive a FREE email each day of the month to help celebrate Black legacies in the United States.
Educate yourself on the Black History you most likely were never taught:
1. Juneteenth
2. Tulsa Race Massacre
3. Tuskegee Experiment
4. Red Summer of 1919
5. Drapetomania
6. Three-fifths Compromise
7. One-Drop Rule
8. Black Codes
9. Bleeding Kansas
10. Anti-Literacy Laws
11. AAVE (and why it’s a legitimate language)
12. Become a Patreon of Mockingbird’s History Lessons for Adults, run by the Instagram account Black Coffee With White Friends
13. Listen to Code Switch on NPR
14. Learn about the history of Race and Redlining
15. Discover Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the eyes of his daughter, Bernice King
16. Read the Reconstruction in America report by EJI (Equal Justice Initiative)
17. Connect with a local Be The Bridge group to work towards racial unity
Teach Your Kids About Black Heroes and Legends:
18. I’ve loved teaching my kids about phenomenal Black historical figures using Vashti Harrison’s books. She has “Little Legends,” which covers Black men like Louis Armstrong and Langston Hughes
19. And “Little Dreamers,” which features women from around the world like Katherine Dunham, Toni Morrison, and Calypso Rose. (Plus more books, like “Little Leaders,” which focuses on Black women in history.)
Buy From & Support Black Businesses:
20. BlkandGreen, an all-natural marketplace by Black artisans
21. Create the Culture (embroidery)
22. The Fine Print Paperie (stationery and pens)
23. Candice Luter Art + Interiors (interior decorating)
24. Stylish Sista (sticker art)
25. BlkConfetti (jewelry and accessories)
26. On The Edge Creations (custom illustrations)
27. The TriniGee (hand drawn creations)
28. Bobbi Made This (polymer clay earrings)
29. Tabitha Bianca Brown (vibrant art prints)
30. Lingua Nigra (handcrafted jewelry)
31. Zandra Beauty (skincare and beauty products)
32. Become a monthly patreon of Shine Brighter Together
33. Oh Happy Dani shop (prints, clothing, and more)
34. Buy from Black Owned Bookstores - This article lists Black-owned bookstores offering online shopping, by state
35. Many Black people have their Venmo or CashApp listed in their bios; pay them for their labor!
Celebrate With Food:
36. Google Black-owned restaurants in your area and buy from them
37. If you want to support Black chefs, buy their cookbooks, like this one from Black Girl Baking (whose real name is Jerrell Guy)
38. Try your hand at Soul Food with the help of Todd Richards’ book, Soul
39. Follow Vallery Lomas (@foodieinnewyork) on Instagram
40. Buy Son of a Southern Chef by Lazarus Lynch
41. Celebrate African American cuisine using recipes from Jubilee by Toni Tipton-Martin
Follow Black artists, musicians, and teachers:
42. Propaganda, a poet, political activist, husband, father, academic & emcee
43. Bryan Stevenson, the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization
44. Latasha Morrison, diversity expert and unity champion
45. Lisa Sharon Harper, speaker, writer, activist & artist
46. Ally Henny, writer and speaker
47. Osheta Moore, author, speaker, and everyday peacemaker
48. Andre Henry, writer and musician
49. Oh Happy Dani, illustrator and advocate
50. Luvvie Ajayi, author and speaker
51. Amena Brown, poet and artist
52. Amena also has a wonderful podcast called HER with Amena Brown
53. Morgan Harper Nichols, storyteller and artist
54. Arielle Estoria, poet, writer and speaker
55. Dr. Peace Amadi, mental health expert, author, and speaker
56. Cole Arthur Riley, who runs the account Black Liturgies
57. Sincerely, Lettie, a podcast run by a historian and anti-racism educator
Read Books Written By Black Authors:
I haven’t linked these because they are widely available wherever books are sold
58. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
59. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
60. So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo
61. Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi; read or listen: free audible book available on Spotify
62. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
63. Freedom is A Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis
64. The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
65. His Truth is Marching On, a book about the late Civil Rights activist John Lewis
66. Walking With the Wind, written by John Lewis
67. Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton, founding Black Panther
68. James Baldwin’s books, including Go Tell It On the Mountain
69. I also recommend Notes of a Native Son
70. Other great works by James Baldwin are Nobody Knows My Name
71. The Fire Next Time
72. And you can also listen to his speeches through a simple search on the Internet, including his Pin Drop Speech