July 02, 2020
Celebrating Black History Every Month
In America, February is Black History Month, but no culture should be relegated to a single month of the year. Keeping discussions and awareness around race, racism, and antiracism alive is vital, especially when you’re the parent of a transracial family. Every child’s ethnicity must be supported and nurtured. There are so many ways to do this, and many are fun for the whole family. Here are a few thoughts on how you can celebrate Black history all year long with your family.
Make it a movie project. Load your month with film nights featuring Black actors and Black stories. Akeelah and the Bee, Selma, Hidden Figures, Netflix’s 13th, Remember the Titans, Malcolm X, I Am Not Your Negro, and Luce are just a few examples of excellent and relevant films. We love this great list from Good Housekeeping of movies that build meaningful conversations about race in America.
Read books that feature characters of color. So often, we see books where white characters are featured as the heroes of every story. That needs to change, and the Scholastic Journal has shared an impressive list of books that highlight and empower Black characters. It’s never too early to start the conversation with your children.
Listen to Black musicians! Black music is an indelible part of American music history. Historical Black singers and composers influence so much of today’s music. Both Spotify and Pandora have made new efforts to highlight Black artists with playlists ranging from podcasts to full albums. Explore different genres and artists, and intentionally diversify the kind of music you and your family is consuming.
Visit historical monuments, museums, restaurants, or institutions in your area that celebrate and honor Black culture. Try a new type of food, explore Black artists at your local museum, visit a monument, and learn about the person or period it honors. This is a fun way to excavate Black culture in your town and to create a personal connection to your child’s history with where they currently live.
Black poets have contributed legendary pieces to the canon, and this is an ideal time to snuggle up and read. Medium.com shared a list of eleven Black poets and their contributions to some of the best poetry collections of this century. Each poem is accompanied by a short essay explaining its meaning and significance.
Find out about Black history events in your area…then show up! Showing your child that your community honors different cultures elevates its importance and illustrates that they do have love and support. Don’t forget to support Black-owned businesses. Support Black Owned put together a list of all Black-owned businesses by state, and it’s a fantastic resource.
Of course, this is just a small list of ways you can get the dialogue and activities moving with your family. Anything you do to celebrate your child’s heritage will have a significant impact—not just on your child, but your family, too.
