8 Ways To Celebrate Black History Month
Black History Month is just around the corner landing in the month of February. This year is the perfect time to celebrate Black History Month in a new way. Meaning, remembering the powerful women and men who helped pave the way for not only African Americans but other minorities in America as well. Here are eight ways to celebrate Black History Month.
1. Travel To The Deep South
Black History Month is a great time to learn about slavery in America. For many African Americans in the past, slavery was the harass reality individuals woke up to every day. Make a note to visit a plantation. Some areas still hold the slave quarters where slaves lived. Visitors are able to tour some of these areas and learn about the history of slavery. Traveling to a plantation will make you humble for what you have in your life.
2. Watch The Black History Month Parade
In many cities, the Black History Month Parade is an annual event that happens at the end of February. Attending a parade is a simple way to celebrate black history while having a great opportunity to enhance entire communities about keeping history alive and coming together. Plus, parades are a lively and happy experience.
3. Host A BBQ
Host a BBQ and invite the whole neighborhood. Black History Month not only teaches tolerance but embraces communities coming together as one. Name a better option than food that brings people together. I’m waiting. Yep, food is a way to celebrate and teach others about history without going overboard.
4. Volunteer To Help Communities Grow
Be grateful for your blessing and volunteer to help others escape poverty. In most cases, individuals that live in poverty are minorities. Volunteering is an amazing way to give back to your community and a unique way to celebrate Black History Month. The Black Panther party was very much known for helping further their black communities by volunteering and serving children free meals.
5. Read Books
For book lovers, this is the perfect opportunity to pick up a book. Reading opens so many doors for individuals. The more people educate themselves the more opportunities naturally come their way. Reading to celebrate Black History Month brings knowledge to the table and opens up avenues for new discussions. Read books that talk about slavery, segregation, and freedom like “12 Years a Slave,” by Solomon Northup who wrote about his life as a free black man who was sold into slavery. Or read about current issues in America from fiction books likes “The Hate U Give,” by African American writer Angie Thomas who discusses the topic of police shootings.
6. Visit A Civil Rights Museum
Spend the day at the museum where history will come alive in front of you. The cruel history of slavery and segregation will remind folks that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” truthfully quoted by George Santayana.
7. Discover Your Roots
It doesn’t matter what race you are. Discover your roots and where you come from. Find what makes you who you are. Discover where your family comes from as you build your family tree. In this age its hard to believe that an individual is only one race. Finding who your ancestors are and who they were is fascinating. Maybe your relative marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or maybe they fought for integration in the public school system.
8. Be Kind
Being kind is the best way to celebrate Black History Month. Being kind should not be taken for granted. Black history deals with people being unkind toward each other based off being a different race. The way a person treats another individual shows a lot about their character. The best way to honor amazing people who changed the world like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela and many more is to treat one another with respect, love, and kindness.
