20+ Black History Month ideas to celebrate the occasion 2022
Believe it or not, Black History Month has not been around for a long time, even though Carter G Woodson started it in 1917. The idea of it was to lobby for national recognition of black stories and perspectives. While South Africa has made significant strides over the years, our work is to ensure that history is never forgotten. These Black History Month ideas will go a long way in enlightening you on how to mark the occasion in 2022.
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Why is Black History Month in February? How should we celebrate it? These details on Black History Month ideas will go a long way in embedding how to mark the special occasion. You will also learn more facts about the event and its significance.
Black History Month ideas 2022
What is Black History Month, and why is it celebrated? Carter G Woodson chose February because it was President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist Fredrick Douglass's birth month. February was set as the official Black History Month in 1976. To date, it serves as an essential conversation in different institutions in our daily lives.
Black History Month ideas for schools
Schools play a crucial part in an individual's life, and they significantly influence one's values and beliefs. Since Black History Month is marked to honour leaders' contribution and accomplishments, embedding the message in schools goes a long way. This list provides a couple of activities teachers could use in doing so.
1. Person of the day
Take time to get into details about black leaders and their influence in the country. You could focus on one person per day or week. These people could be artists, actors, activists, politicians, heroes, scientists, or athletes.
2. History trivia and games
Learning history can be a little monotonous, especially for a class set-up. Therefore, one way you could do things differently is by introducing fun activities like trivia and games. The games could focus on Black History and influential figures.
3. Field trips to local events
While teaching in class is a dedicated way of learning, incorporating out-of-class activities like field trips is an excellent way of breaking the monotony. It is also an ideal way of making learning fun and engaging. Since many Black History Month events are happening in February, you could take advantage of the opportunity to have out-of-class learning.
Alternatively, you could visit nearby museums to learn more about renowned leaders and their contribution to the country.
4. Fact or quote of the day
Every morning, show a new quote or fact relevant to Black History. You could add the fact or quote to your bulletin board or have the students say it loud. Alternatively, you could have the class discuss the Black History Month facts or quotes.
5. Study and create art
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In the black community, art carries so much cultural significance; hence, it could be an exciting and fun way of learning. You could use this opportunity to let the learners explore their artsy side by writing stories, creating videos and podcasts, or creating visual arts.
6. Work on a project
You could assign your class a project to work on for the entire month. It could be a group presentation or a collaborative media project. The project could be a way of evaluating the students and how well they grasp what they learn.
7. Decorate the classroom with relevant material
Another one of the excellent Black History Month ideas for preschool is decorating the learning areas with appropriate materials to set the mood. The material could include the artsy projects you have worked on or a portrait or photograph of an influential person they are familiar with. The decorative material could be the basis of the lesson.
8. Printable activities
Teaching kids about history might be challenging. However, you do not need to fuss since printable activities are an excellent Black History Month ideas for kids. You could engage them in artsy projects like colouring printed material while engaging them in the concept of Black History.
Black History Month ideas for work
In South Africa, a plethora of research highlights racial discrimination and unfair treatment of employees. Efforts of diversity initiatives have been underway; hence, emphasising the significance of this occasion would go a long way. These are some of the ideal corporate Black History Month ideas.
9. Bring in speakers
Knowledge is never-ending, and every day is an opportunity to learn something new. You could bring in influencers from different spheres to speak about civil rights and racial relations. These engagements could be a thought-provoking experience that improves work relations among employees.
10. Workshops
Even though workshops have a facilitator or speaker, they encourage participants to be hands-on and engage through their critical thinking. They are ideal in understanding how the members of the organisation relate and their views on racism. Workshops are also suitable for building relationships among the employees.
11. Book clubs
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Organising book clubs can be a poignant way of recognising the occasion. You could bring in a facilitator to guide the program. The best part about it is the increased number of books by black authors.
12. Volunteering
Volunteering with local non-profit organisations is a unique way of giving back and preaching the gospel of inclusivity. The process also strengthens the bond with your workmates and inspires motivation at the workplace. It is also a good way of maintaining ties with the community.
13. Donate
Donating is one of the charitable activities to engage in this season. You could pull resources together and arrange a fundraiser to support campaigns dealing with racial justice. Alternatively, you could channel the resources to supporting black-led initiatives and movements.
14. Inclusion
This season focuses on inclusion; hence, it is ideal to think about your organisation's diversity and inclusion efforts. Therefore, you could create a safe space to discuss your team members. You could also reach out to black-led organisations for their input on how to create a conducive working environment.
Black History Month ideas at home
How do I teach my child Black History Month? There is a wide range of activities you could engage in to mark the occasion. They could be educational and entertaining.
15. Watch documentaries
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You could dedicate February to learning more about Black History. One great way of doing so is by watching documentaries about black creators. You could also dedicate the month to watching films by black creators.
16. Listen to music
You could also dedicate the month to listening to some of the legendary creators. Luckily, South Africa is home to the most celebrated artists like Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie, and Lucky Dube. You could honour them by listening to their music and learning more about the events that led to their legendary hits.
17. Game night
You could organise a game night where the whole family participates in trivia games focused on Black History. Game nights are among suitable virtual Black History Month ideas, especially when family members are not in the same location. To spice it up, you could have a prize for the winners.
Black History Month ideas for social media
Social media is an ideal platform, especially for Black History Month in South Africa. You could entertain and enlighten your audience through your posts. These are some of the ways you could do it.
18. Amplify black voices
If you have a considerable following, you could have interactive sessions with your audience to preach the inclusivity message. You could also invite influential personalities to share about the topic on your social media handles. It is great to engage in Instagram takeovers and have activists use your platform to spread the message.
19. Advocate for change
This season is the best opportunity to raise awareness about local nonprofit organisations and offer them monetary support. You could use this opportunity to raise awareness about your space and provide alternative solutions to the issues.
20. Creator spotlights
Spotlighting black creators, entrepreneurs, and brands can be a great way of introducing your audience to the businesses and people they can support. You could do it by hosting an interactive questionnaire. Alternatively, you could host a carousel highlighting black creators and brands and why they deserve support.
21. Black History Month quotes
Quotes are a great way of driving engagement for brands and creators. For this season, there is a wide range of black voices to spotlight and amplify their message. As a brand or creator, you could post about what you have been working on.
Did you recently hear about Black History Month and have no idea what to do during this occasion? This list has provided you with more than enough Black Month History ideas on what to do throughout the month.
READ ALSO: Top 30 famous black women to celebrate Black History Month 2021
Briefly.co.za posted the list of famous black women to celebrate Black History Month in 2021. There are tens of thousands of black women that have been at the forefront to ensure that the black woman is represented in the USA and other parts of the world. Get to know more about the top 30 famous black women.
Source: Briefly News
