CareNotes

Ways to Celebrate Black History Month as an Ally

February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the achievements, and contributions of the Black community, while also acknowledging the systemic inequalities they’ve experienced. There’s a new theme every year to honor Black History Month. The 2023 national Black History Month theme is “Black Resistance.” Black Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, exploitation, institutional discrimination, and brutality since their arrival in the U.S. By resisting, the Black community has achieved triumphs, successes, and progress as seen at the end of chattel slavery, dismantling of Jim and Jane Crow segregation in the South, desegregation of educational institutions, and more.

Below are ways you can learn and expand your knowledge about the accomplishments and contributions of Black people in American history, as well as reflect on inequities and injustices that have been done against them to become a better ally to the Black community.

Read

• “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” by Nikole Hannah-Jones – A mix of essays, poems, and works of fiction from more than 50 contributors and 17 authors who explore the deep-rooted legacy of slavery and how its inheritance in 1619 continues to shape every facet of modern American society, its constructs, and its democracy to this day
• “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou – A coming-of-age memoir by acclaimed writer and poet Maya Angelou that details her experiences with racism, sexual trauma, and violence experienced as a young girl. Years later, she finds the freedom to heal through great literary works from authors such as William Shakespeare, the kindness of others, and self-love
• “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates – A memoir written in a series of essays that take form of an open letter to Coates’ son about race in America, exploring thoughts on systemic racism, white exceptionalism, and more
• “Beloved” by Toni Morrison – A New York Times bestseller follows the story of Sethe, who is born into slavery and escapes to Ohio. But even after 18 years, the memories of home still haunt her
• “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander – Demonstrates the link between slavery, Jim Crow, mass incarceration, and racism and is a call to action for modern reform of America’s criminal justice system

Watch

You can find movies and documentaries exploring the Black experience right now on Netflix, Disney Plus and other streaming services. PBS is also offering several free video documentary collections, which include smaller chunks of Black history for all ages.

• High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America (Netflix) –Chef and writer Stephen Satterfield traces the delicious, moving throughlines from Africa to Texas in this docuseries
• Black is King (Disney+)– Visual album from Beyoncé that reimagines the lessons of “The Lion King,” telling the story of a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love, and self-identity
• Wattstax (Amazon) – A documentary that celebrations the seventh annual Watts Summer Festival, highlighting a seven-hour concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1972
• Hidden Figures (Disney+) – Biopic that tells the untold story of three women at NASA who were instrumental in the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit
• Women of the Movement (Hulu) – Based on the true story of the savage lynching of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley’s path to activism

Listen

• “Historically Black” by the Washington Post and APM Reports – This podcast features stories based on personal objects submitted by listeners that “make up their own lived experiences of Black history”
• “The Black History Buff Podcast” by King Kurus – This podcast is a fun and thrilling journey through time, covering the full historical tapestry of the African Diaspora
• “Witness Black History” by BBC Worldwide – A travel and culture documentary podcast that highlights key moments in Black and Civil Rights History
• “Code Switch” by NPR – This podcast highlights the hidden heroes and buried history of Black America
• “Seizing Freedom” by VPM – The podcast celebrates Black history, highlighting true stories of Black people’s fight for liberation, progress, and joy from the Civil war to the Civil Rights Movement