How to Respectfully Celebrate Black History Month
Students in Diversity Club have planned several activities for the month of February and posted this announcement to encourage the PR community to learn about Black history.
Black History Month, celebrated for the entire month of February, is a celebration of Black excellence in the United States. It is a time to learn the history behind traditions and how to celebrate them in a respectful manner.
There are many ways to commemorate the history of Black individuals at PR and in our community.
Learn about how Black people’s contributions to America helped shape it.
Learn about the cultural influence behind Black hairstyles. Cornrows were used as a medium of communication during the Underground Railroad. Hair was used to determine someone’s marital status, age, wealth rank, religion, and society rank. Hair is more than just hair in the Black community.
Lift up Black creators, artists, politicians, business owners, and historical figures.
Acknowledge the struggle and learn history without a lens of judgment or bias.
Visit the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago.
Consume Black media such as books or podcasts. Educate yourself further on the matter with materials written by black artists. Look for the PR Library display or featured list in the SORA app. Check out this Goodreads list of books. Listen to music produced by Black artists.
Attend the panel of Black members of McHenry county’s community put together by Diversity Club on February 25th.
Watch television shows/movies/documentaries highlighting Black struggles and success. Marshall focuses on Thurgood Marshall taking on a case of a false rape accusation against a Black man by a white woman. Harriet is a biography of abolitionist Harriet Tubman. 13th on Netflix displays racial inequity in the United States and discusses how that impacts mass incarceration.
PR admin and teachers could play a Black artist’s music during the musical minute or during gym periods.
Learning history is important, and Black history is American history. The predominantly white PR community can respectfully celebrate Black history in February and also remember that Black History should be celebrated all year round: it’s more than a month.
