Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of black people in American history. Here are 11 activities we suggest for celebrating Black History Month:
1. Listen to black musicians
Keep it modern with Leon Bridges and Beyoncé, or go old school with Al Green and Otis Redding. Don’t forget jazz and blues greats like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Muddy Waters.
2. Read black authors
We recommend Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and James Baldwin.
3. Queue up civil rights films
Here are some award-winning titles we recommend: “Malcom X” won a fistful of NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Denzel Washington). “The Long Walk Home” won an Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture (Whoopi Goldberg). “Selma” won an Academy Award for Best Original Song (“Glory”) and was nominated for Best Picture. “To Kill a Mockingbird” won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
4. Watch black cinema
The movies don’t have to be about black history. Pick a comedy or drama with a black cast. Some of our recent favorites are “Get Out,” “Moonlight,” and of course, “Black Panther.”
5. Attend a lecture or event
Check out the events calendar at your local colleges and universities, which often host Black History Month lectures or special events.
6. Attend an art show
Visit your local art museum, which will likely have a Black History Month-inspired exhibit.
7. Cook some traditional soul food
Pull out your recipes for flaky buttermilk biscuits, hot milk cake, and sweet potato casserole.
8. Play Mancala
You can even make your own board for Mancala, an African counting game, with an egg carton.
9. Visit the history museum
Check out the exhibits at your local history museum to see artifacts that inform black society today.
10. Memorize black poetry
We love Langston Hughes, who plays with rhythm and vocabulary in a way that’s fun to read aloud.
11. Watch CNN’s “Black in America 2”
The documentary looks into the most challenging issues black people face in the United States today.