How Do You Celebrate Black History Month? Find 5 Inspiring Ideas Inside!
Dedicated to Black History Month, February is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of African Americans, recognizing their central role in United States’ history. It’s also a perfect opportunity to begin a new learning journey!
After being officially recognized in 1976, February has been dedicated to Black History Month, a celebration of achievements by African Americans, recognizing their central role in United States’ history. Although it’s always a good time to honor Black history, February presents a mindful opportunity to celebrate Black history, Black culture and contemporary contributions.
1. Learn about the Civil Rights movement, whether it’s through documentaries, podcasts, books or visiting historic sites of the Movement, such as the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the location of the “Bloody Sunday” march. If you have the opportunity, walking in the footsteps of history makes learning about the fight for civil rights especially powerful.
2. Can’t take a field trip right now? Explore from-home options like an online exploration of the National Museum of African American History & Culture, or explore BlackPast, a resource that hosts an impressive collection of primary documents from African American history that date back to 1724!
3. Read books by Black authors. A captivating syllabus can be curated containing any genre you like, from histories to biographies, poetry to fiction to children’s books. Read Amanda Gorman’s powerful poetry, The Hill We Climb or learn about Rosa Parks’ story in her own words. From classics like Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to an autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., there are options for every interest. Maybe try joining a book club of like-minded readers and continue the conversation—begin by checking out our Black History Month book list.
4. Speaking of which, join a conversation! There are many spaces for social justice discussions out there, both online and in-person. At Road Scholar, we have a Social Justice Club on Facebook, a space for members of the Road Scholar community to share resources, events, discussions, ideas and stories on topics of race, civil rights and equality. Together, the group helps us to further our own anti-racism and social justice journeys in the spirit of Road Scholar's mission of lifelong learning.
5. Inspire your palate! On your next adventure, whether it’s across the country or in your own hometown, seek out and eat at Black-owned restaurants. Resources like EatOkra can connect you to Black restaurants and culinary events no matter where you are.
However you decide to curate your learning journey, you can read more about Black History Month. Interested in continuing your discoveries with Road Scholar? Discover our programs incorporating African American studies taking place online and in-person.
How will you celebrate Black History Month this year? Join the Road Scholar Facebook community and keep the conversation going!