Black History Graduation

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 Yes, February is Black History Month in the US. However simply *learning* about Black people’s contributions wasn’t the original intent of the observance. Founder Carter G. Woodson advocated for year-round study of Black history. He wanted Negro History Week (precursor to BHM) to be a celebration of all we had learned throughout the year! 

I think of Black History Month as less of cram session, more of a graduation. 

A few things I learned this past year:

▪️Freedom House, a Black ambulance service founded in Pittsburgh inspired today’s EMS system https://lnkd.in/dJMSy8gt

▪️Every year BHM has a theme. This year it’s Black health and wellness. Last year it was the Black family. I’ve been celebrating for decades and had NO idea! 

▪️Entrepreneur Maggie Lena Walker, best known for being the first woman to own a US bank, was also a PR pro. She published a newsletter, pitched other media outlets to get coverage for an org dedicated to Black financial advancement, and used those skills to promote her bank. Shout to Museum of Public Relations for putting that info on my radar. 

How are you celebrating Black History Month? What have you learned? 


Pictured: pre-pandemic Black history trivia at the Newark Public Library. We adults (not pictured) had as much fun as the kids! 

Alt text: a group of elementary school children sitting at tables, some excitedly raising their hands during BHM trivia 


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