Black History Month 2021
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“Black joy is about affirming one’s beautiful life. Black joy rejects the pathology of racism. Black joy is being fully human. Black joy is pride. Black joy is self-love. Black joy is shining bright. Black joy is living your best life despite living in a racist world setup against your very being.” |
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― Mei-Ling Malone, Cal State Fullerton African American studies professor |
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) offers a history of the origins of Black History Month chronicling the efforts of one of ASALH’s founders, Carter G. Woodson, to organize the first national level celebration of the Black past. Below is an excerpt:
It is commonly said that Woodson selected February to encompass the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping Black history, namely Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, whose birthdays are the 12th and the 14th, respectively. … Yet Woodson was up to something more than building on tradition. ... Though he admired both men, Woodson had never been fond of the celebrations held in their honor. He railed against the “ignorant spellbinders” who addressed large, convivial gatherings and displayed their lack of knowledge about the men and their contributions to history. More importantly, Woodson believed that history was made by the people, not simply or primarily by great men. ... Lincoln, however great, had not freed the slaves—the Union Army, including hundreds of thousands of Black soldiers and sailors, had done that. Rather than focusing on two men, the Black community, he believed, should focus on the countless Black men and women who had contributed to the advance of human civilization.
Resources and Events to Celebrate Black Joy
Web Articles
- The Root:
- Voice of OC: Celebrating Black Joy as an Alternative Form of Resistance and Reclaiming of Humanity
- Glamour: 10 Nostalgic Sitcoms That Celebrate Black Joy
- Popsugar: 28 Films to Watch During Black History Month That Aren't About Black Trauma
Local Resources and Events
- The Emily Taylor Center here at KU is participating in the Free Black Women's Library 2021 Reading Challenge Video Series.
- The KU Medical Center has a calendar of events for the entire month of February including a virtual exhibit celebrating faculty, staff, residents, and students of color.
- KU Libraries is hosting a resource guide of activities and events specific to Kansas and a list of national level digital resources.
- The Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City has produced the 12th edition of their history of Black Kansas Citians, available here for free download.