January was a month. February is our month. Not only February, but especially February. Every day of Black History Month this year, I'm rocking, reading, watching, attending, and most importantly enjoying something that celebrates Black history, Black culture, or Black folks. I’ll post about what I’m doing, wearing, listening to, recommending, learning here on the blog daily. — Feb. 1 - Kicking off the month with this super cute, handpainted shirt from artist Cynthia Vaughn @iamcjgallery on IG Feb. 2 - Caught a replay of “We Knew What We Had” (PBS) a doc about the history of jazz in Pittsburgh, highlights the talents of George Benson, Art Blakey, Mary Lou Williams and other greats — all from Pittsburgh. Feb. 3 - Watched several eps from Crash Course - Black American History (YouTube) hosted by Clint Smith. The 51-episode series discusses the experience of Black people in America, from the arrival of the first enslaved Black people who arrived at Jamestown to the Black Liv...
I spent every day of Black History Month doing something to celebrate us. Some days it was as simple as rocking a top from a Black business and reading a short blog. Other days it was back to back events and documentary deep dives. This was a priority, sometimes a challenge, and to be honest, not enough. I was looking forward to the joy. But in this climate it felt more like an act of resistance — against all the noise, negativity, anti-Blackness that’s taken the form of legislative actions, corporate rollbacks, social media posts and much more. I know it doesn’t have to be either/or. Celebration can be resistance. And even if it takes a bit more effort to reclaim the joy in it, it’s important to heed the call to action I heard on Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw’s webinar this week. “Use every platform you have to tell the truth about who we are.” - Kaye Wise Whitehead
For so many reasons, it’s a good time to get or renew your library card. After I renewed mine at the East Orange Public Library, I visited the stacks, something I haven’t done in ages. Was glad to see my books plus titles from friends and fam.
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