In February we celebrate Black History Month across the country in various ways. Schools highlight important Black figures throughout history and companies across the nation show their support for the Black communities during February.
We have a responsibility as parents and people to make sure Black History is not just celebrated for one month a year. For this year’s Black History Month, I recommend everyone to spend some time making sure you celebrate Black people all year long.
While Black History Month is in February that does not mean we are supposed to stop celebrating or appreciating Black History. Here are a few ways you can easily show your support and continue celebrating Black History for the rest of the year.
Buy from Black-owned businesses!
One simple way to show support for black history month (and to show support of Black people all year) is to buy more from Black-owned businesses. Social media can be a great tool to find many black content creators and business owners to buy from.
Read books by Black authors!
Traditionally a lot of stories have been told about Black people but not by Black people. You should always keep educating yourself and books are a great way to include the whole family. No one is expecting you to have all the answers and your children won’t expect you to have them all either. Books can give both you and your children the chance to learn about different cultures and the history of different cultures.
Watch movies and TV made by Black creators!
What we watch on screen also affects the way we see the world. If you never expose yourself and your family to anything unfamiliar you will never grow and learn. For so many years there has been hardly any representation of Black families on the screen let alone representation among the creators of popular media.
Diversify the playroom and your house (and give diverse toys and games to the family)!
Some cities and neighborhoods have little to no diversity when it comes to culture and skin color. It is important that we still introduce diverse cultural toys and games, so our children grow up to be familiar with more than their own culture. You should also keep this in mind when you give gifts to family or friends with children. One of the ways we can make sure the next generation is more open and accepting is to start with yourself and those around you!
Capitalize the B in Black!
When referring to Black individuals or communities you should always capitalize the B to show that you understand that you are talking about people and not color. Traditionally capitalization has been left out which indicates a lack of respect. While it might seem insignificant to some it is especially important to remember that we live in a world where much of our communication happens through writing and text. So, we need to make sure we show respect and teach our children to show respect regardless of the form of communication.
It is great that we have the month of February where we can all show our appreciation for Black History because it is also American history. We can’t forget to celebrate that history throughout the rest of the year.
We need to take a second to remember that even though we call February Black History Month that does not mean we shouldn’t be celebrating Black History all the other months of the year. I’m hoping many of us this year have seen February as a chance to begin the work towards raising more socially conscious children. Let’s take this time as we close the chapter that was February to set some intentions for the rest of the year when it comes to teaching diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging.