“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” —Thurgood Marshall

Last year, Black Americans accounted for more than 13% of of the U.S. population, which means there are over 45 million different lived experiences across the country. Black History Month was established to honor, support, and amplify these experiences and voices.

While there is no right or wrong way to celebrate Black History Month, we do encourage everyone to take some time and educate themselves on the origins of Black History Month, and find a way to reflect on the history, grow and learn from the present, and think of how we can evolve in the future.

Here are just a few suggestions on how you can do that.

• Celebrate and amplify the voices of Black authors by looking into “25 Books by Black Authors You Should Read in Your Lifetime.”
• Learn more about the origins of Black History Month from the History Channel.
• Check out Spotify’s Black History Month playlist and celebrate Black culture and excellence.
• Support local Black-owned businesses in our area.
• Learn more about influential folks throughout history.
  • Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
  • Michelle Obama
  • Henrietta Lacks
  • Dr. Mae Jemison
  • Mary Eliza Mahoney
• Plan a trip to the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Chicago.
  • Check out their special events for the month like The Torture Letters, The Adrian Dunn Experience, or explore the virtual experience they hosted from TIME Magazine: The March.
• Visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and explore their virtual experiences with initiatives like: African American Treasures, Oral History, In Slavery’s Wake, Civil Rights History Project, and more, or read their “Black Joy: Resistance, Resilience, and Reclamation” story.
• Donate to charities that Support Anti-Racism, Equity, and Equality like The Advancement Project, The Center for Constitutional Rights, The National Urban League, or Black Girls Code.

However you choose to celebrate this month, we hope that you do so in a thoughtful, introspective, and equitable way. Black History Month is just one time out of the year that we should honor the history, contributions, and lived experiences of Black Americans.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” —Barack Obama