3 Ways To Celebrate Black History Month

1. Find local schools in your area that are putting on #BHM programs!

A lot of schools host programs during the month of February to celebrate Black History Month; most of them are either free or under $5. This is an inexpensive way to introduce other children to Black history in a way that will be interesting to them.

It also feels good to see young people who have dedicated their time to learn about the history of Black culture. It is always heart-warming to hear a group of children singing "Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing".

Also, watching programs that celebrate the arts may inspire you to take a class… whether it be a dance class, music class, or spoken word. Seeing the performances always sparks something inside that says “ I can do that, too”

2. Find local historical places to visit

Jacksonville has many historical museums and landmarks that we can visit that date back to slavery and harder times. One location is The Kinglsey Plantation. It borders the St. John's River and is slave plantation that still has some standing slave quarters that you can see and touch.

Every time I visit I feel something different. It was a cold day during my last visit and I became overwhelmed just thinking about the first winter that my ancestors felt, never having felt that before. It was something that seems small but, it was big for them. Being there standing where they stood allowed me to be reflective on our journey and progress. A quick way of finding local places like the one I’ve just told you about is to go to sites like TripAdvisor.com and your city’s visitor site.

3. THROW A DINNER PARTY

Get creative! Decorate your dining area & table with either tribal print, Kente-style fabric (which would be lovely table napkins), or the ever classic yet chic  all black. At your place setting you can leave little known #BlackWins on seating cards that can be used as conversation starters with other guest.

Consider having a themed menu. You can find all your favorite meals from the culture (except chit’lins because… chit’lins…). It’s even a way for you to bring close family together and do it potluck style; and that can be made super easy by using the website www.signupgenius.com. Sign up genius is a way to make potlucks easier, it’s especially a convenient way to make sure you don’t wind up with a dinner table full of only mashed potatoes (even though, is that even really a problem.)

So let’s do it! Let’s get ready to celebrate Black History Month right! Comment and let me know if you plan to celebrate and send me pictures of these lit dinner parties that I know you all are going to throw!