CareNotes

Activities to Celebrate Black History Month

Black History Month is a month-long observance in February that honors the achievements and contributions of Black people to the United States. The month of February was selected to coincide with the birthdates of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who were both instrumental in ending slavery. The week-long event officially became Black History Month in 1976 when U.S. president Gerald Ford extended the recognition to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

This year’s theme is Black health and wellness, which pays homage to Black medical scholars and health care providers. The theme is timely as we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected minority communities and placed increased burdens on Black health care professionals.

Celebrating Black History Month is a great way to bring residents and caregivers of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds together to create an inclusive, healthy senior living community. Here are several ways long term care communities can celebrate:

1. Share memories – Bringing residents together to share memories from their past is a great way to open a discussion about Black history. Encourage a respectful conversation about major events in history like the March on Washington in 1963 and the “I Have a Dream” speech. This is a great way to learn about their individual experiences during these events and how the events made an impact on their lives.
2. Set up a display table with information, pictures, and artifacts ­– This is an easy way to share facts about momentous events and figures who made significant strides in American history.
3. Host a trivia night – Focus the trivia on Black history and invite residents and staff to attend and offer prizes.
4. Host a dance night – Play music composed and performed by Black musicians that mirror specific times, like ragtime, jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, disco, and hip-hop.
5. Start a book club this month – Read and discuss literature written by Black authors. Take this opportunity to educate and understand the impact made by African Americans in the U.S. You can choose to read a biography on famous civil rights activists, like Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks, or read about significant events like the Birmingham Church Bombing. Some top books include:
   -The Watsons Go to Birmingham
   -Bud, Not Buddy
   -Martin Luther King Jr.: A Life
6. Host a movie night – Popular streaming sites like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus have a Black History Month genre featuring tv shows, movies, and documentaries that explore Black experiences and stories.
7. Host Black History Month dinner – Celebrate the foods of African American culture, like cornbread, steamed greens, black-eyed peas, chicken, and pork. Ask residents to share their favorite recipes.
8. Themed Bingo – You can find great Black History Bingo templates here. After you announce a square, you can give some history about the significance of that person or event. This is a great way to have some fun with the residents as well as learn and reminisce about major historical events and Civil Rights leaders.
9. Printable activities – These coloring pages, crosswords, and trivia games are another great way to get the creative juices flowing. Print out a bunch of these activities and let the residents conversate about Black History while completing the worksheets. This is perfect for all residents because it allows them to work at their own pace.
10. Virtual tours – Many museums across the country are hosting free virtual tours during Black History Month. View some selected exhibits and collections from the National Museum of African American History and Culture here. View the Digital Schomburg of the New York Public Library to access online articles, digital exhibitions, photos, audio, and video live streams here.

View more daily activities here.