Black History is an equally important part of all of the histories of the USA and it is something that should not be celebrated just for a month. It should be acknowledged all year long. We should appreciate the contributions of black people to the culture and development of the United States. But while absolutely deserving of celebration, the stories of African American participation in our culture and history have become constant over the years. In this article, we will find out the best way to celebrate Black History Month.
Celebrate Black History Month
National Museum of African American History & Culture
If you have a list of places to visit in different states of the US, add a visit to this museum in Washington DC. As part of the Smithsonian, it’s loaded with collections and shows that will influence and inspire you. You’ll see art and artifacts that traverse our nation’s history. The museum managers believe that this museum is for all Americans to better know our nation’s history through the African American point of view.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’
You may have been given the assignment to read Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous letter in your high school English class. There’s no greater time to read it again than now. The letter is deemed as a fundamental report in the Civil Rights Movement, but it’s also a magnificent work of literature. In the letter, written in 1963, Dr. King explains movingly for peaceful resistance to racism. His letter is all the more persuasive because it’s written from a jail cell—King had been arrested during a nonviolent protest against discrimination.
Hidden Figures
This is one of the inspiring movies that follow the stories of three black women scientists working at NASA during the Civil Rights era. You’ll notice their astonishing contributions from within a culture of prejudice and inequality. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae shine as the science and math prodigies who play key roles in America’s space race. Also, check out the first female achievements in the world.
Colson Whitehead’s ‘The Underground Railroad’
Whitehead’s gripping; can’t-put-it-down novel won the National Book Award, the Man Booker Prize, and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It’s just that great. Whitehead sets his narrative during the 1800s in the American South. Everything is just how you’d anticipate, only skewed mysterious and slightly modified. The story follows a deserted slave on her terrifying journey north. The “underground railroad” she crosses is a real series of below-ground trains. This is a searing and chilling must-read picture of American history. Also check out the books that turned into famous movies.
Loving v. Virginia
Must watch this much-praised historical drama about the landmark Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia. Interracial marriage was still illegal in some states until 1967. The documentary follows the real-life couple, Richard and Mildred Loving, who was sentenced to a year in jail for marrying. Ruth Negga was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance. Joel Edgerton plays her loving husband in this inspiring love story set within heartfelt injustice.
I Am Not Your Negro
Raoul Peck’s acclaimed documentary is an ideal must-watch show. It’s based on one of writer Jame’s Baldwin’s incomplete manuscripts, but it reflects a light on the racism throughout America’s history. Baldwin lived and wrote during the Civil Rights era, and the movie investigates his involvement with friends and associates such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers. Samuel L. Jackson describes this compelling picture of Baldwin’s towering intellect and the time in which he lived and wrote. It’s an inherent history lesson with a tremendous impression.
National Great Blacks in Wax Museum
This Baltimore museum strives to teach and drive people by centering on prominent leaders in African American history. You’ll see displays spanning black history from roots in Africa to the Harlem Renaissance to Civil Rights to Inventors and Modern Leaders and everything in between. You’ll see life-size wax figures of Harriet Tubman, Billie Holiday, and many other historical personalities who bring history to life in an atmosphere that encourages and inspires.
