Black History Month, Feb. 1-28, is a great time for black Americans to celebrate the achievements of many historic African American legends that came before them. If you want to pay respect to these heroes, there are a variety of ways to do so.
One way to celebrate Black History Month would be to go to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta, Ga. Going there with family and friends is a way to learn about Dr. King and learn about black history. You can visit inside of his house and take a look around the church he attended.
Another way to remember these leaders is to watch documentaries and movies. You can watch classics like Selma, Lord, Selma or Malcom X. You can also watch newer films like 42 and The Butler.
Black History Month programs are another way to pay tribute to black achievers. In high school, our drama department put on a black history program and the show was a lot of fun. Students who were involved in the show danced, presented poems, sung songs and performed skits.
Parades are good for any holiday, and Black History Month is no exception. It’s fun coming together with so many black Americans to celebrate our culture. Parades are a way to remember the past, but still look ahead to the future.
Reading books about black leaders is another alternative. There is so much information to read about your favorite Black History Month figure, especially if they are a writer themselves. You can read stories by Toni Morrison or poems by Langston Hughes. Biographies are also suitable to get to know new black ideals you have never heard of.
Not only are books and parades an option, but another inventive thing to do is to make arts and crafts that honor this month. There are countless of artsy activities you can create, such as collages or painting, to express your feelings about this special month.
One more way to celebrate this important month is to travel. You can research a few historic locations, like the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., or the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., that you can tour. If you’ve already visited these locations, then researching can help you discover new and significant monuments.
If staying on campus is more appealing, then here are some events by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion that you can attend.
They have a Black History Month Observance Display that lasts until the end of February. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. on the second floor in Row Hall (East).
This organization also has a Black History program. The program will include a Living Legacy Series called Integration in Carroll County. It begins at 7p.m. in the Campus Center Ballroom (Room 108.2) on Feb. 27.
