Every year the US provides a short 28-day window in which to celebrate the blackness. It’s nice to work out a time when the whole country pauses to honor blacks’ accomplishments (though the fact that it happens in the shortest month of the year gives me a break), but blackness doesn’t just exist in February. Even if you’ve had the black fist as your profile picture all of last month, black people’s appreciation must last a whole year.
While blacks are responsible for it make the United States a truly democratic nationAppreciation for black life and the advancement of black people still has a long way to go. We’re still partying many premieresIf we continue to support and celebrate black excellence throughout the year, we will take bigger steps towards creating an anti-racist society.
Lifehacker has provided a number of ways to recognize the blackness in our daily lives by publishing articles filled with Toolkits, book and Movie Recommendations and tips on how to have these crucial conversations. Here is a collection of additional opportunities that you can devote each day to the continuous advancement of black life.
Expand activities over 365 days
Instead of narrowing all of your black history lessons into the shortest month of the year, schedule regular activities to improve your knowledge. The freedom papers lists books, playlists, documentation, and guidelines to help allies create a comprehensive and active plan that will benefit their own growth and knowledge.
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Include current events in your regular learning practice. Often times, Black History Month activities focus on past achievements by blacks who have contributed to society. That’s good, but not only can you give yourself a strong foundation in the history of black accomplishments, but you can also incorporate current milestones. For example: Lt. jg Madeline Swegle recently became the US Navy’s first black tactical jet pilot. Milestones like that of Lt. Swegle take place every day and can be recognized and celebrated all year round.
Make it a regular practice to speak to your family about race and racism. The effects of slavery and systemic racism affect everyone in this country, and action must be taken every day to bring anti-racist practices to mind to all Americans. The greater good The University of California Science Center at Berkeley has published 10 keys to everyday anti-racism, Provides introductory steps to redefine your mind and get you to think more deeply about anti-racist measures. The most important among them are education and intention, key factors in the habitual exercise of anti-racism. While blacks have to think about race every day of their lives, so should everyone else.
There is racism in the housing industry, in the prison industrial complex, in the war on drugs and in trade. Include weekly or daily lessons that show the links between historical racism and today. For example, prison labor is legal because of it 13. Amendmentwhich states that slavery is illegal unless the individual is punished for a crime. As a result, black men and women (who are imprisoned at much higher rates) work with little or no wages to make products that we use every day. These exercises will help you understand how black history and systemic racism are intertwined in modern society. From there, you can take action: be a more informed voter, avoid shopping in places where prison work is done, or otherwise act as a lawyer.
Shop at Black Business all year round
If you get the chance, buy something from a black-owned company. Check out places like We buy blackHere you can get the same products you might find on Target but sold by black-owned companies. When you change your regular buying habits, you are celebrating black entrepreneurship.
Make monthly donations Black causes and projects. One of the biggest problems with systematic racism is the lack of support for black professionals in various industries. Make a point to donate to black creators, black initiatives, and others Black lives count.
Have black movie nights on a regular basis
In the same way that you subscribe to YouTubers you like or streaming services you love to make them more successful, you can support entertainment created by Black. Find movies and TV shows with strong black leads. Streaming services have struggled to devote entire sections to influential Black programming. Hulu’s Black Stories tab features award-winning programs such as Atlanta, This Is Us, and The United States vs. Billie Holiday. HBO Max, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video all offer a variety of black media to educate, entertain, and stimulate critical thinking.
