Every February, we pay tribute to the triumphs and rich culture of generations of Black Americans. Everyone can recognize and honor these contributions through special events. Use these ideas to inspire your Black History Month celebrations!
Bring History To Life
- Celebrate 100 years of Black History Month! Order or bake a special anniversary cake for the occasion. Decorate with balloons and provide gifts for attendees, such as bookmarks and water bottles.
- Set up a dedicated space filled with posters about key Black history events and people. Customize your exhibit with photos, props, or artifacts relating to local people and events.
- Engage kids or teens in creating a living museum. Assign individuals or small groups to portray icons from all throughout the last 100 years of Black history. Invite members of the community to tour the museum and interact with the historical figures in chronological order to demonstrate great progress through time.
Learn As A Team
- Look into what your area or region is doing to celebrate and honor Black History Month. Take a field trip as a group, and build camaraderie by learning and experiencing together.
- Start a staff meeting with a Black history quiz. Pass out quiz papers and Black History Month pens, and have everyone put away their phones (no cheating!). Award a Black history tote bag to the top performers.
- Create an active bulletin board where a new Black history quiz question is posted every day for the month. The first person to correctly answer the question receives that day’s prize.
Support Black Businesses
- Create treat bags filled with items from local Black-owned businesses. Include Black history bookmarks, pencils, silicone bracelets, and other items that raise awareness about Black History Month. Give the bags to employees, clients, residents, or congregation members.
- Organize a lunch or dinner at a Black-owned restaurant.
- Volunteer with a Black-led nonprofit. Purchase matching Black history T-shirts for all those who participate in your group so you look like a team.
Promote Diversity & Inclusion
- Black history is not limited to one month or just your organization. Inspire daily reminders of Black history's significance all year by distributing wall calendars or monthly planners to the people and businesses in your local community.
- Host a special dinner in honor of Black faculty, staff, and students at your college or university. Create a display wall of posters and photos highlighting influential people in Black history and alumni of your institution. Give a Black history lapel pin to all attendees.
- Ask a local Black leader, activist, or historian to speak to your staff or students. Bring in representatives from Black-American sororities and fraternities or HBCUs to teach Black students about their programs.
- Set up a monthly Diversity Table at your high school, and have Black history educational materials, bracelets, and pencils on hand to attract students. Encourage students to stop at the table and read the educational materials, then have them fill out a form in response to what they learned.
Make It A Cultural Celebration
- Have students perform music, dance, and poetry created by Black artists. Invite parents and members of the community to the celebration.
- Put on a Black history parade or festival to highlight local Black leaders, organizations, singers, musicians, dancers, and more. Invite Black-owned food vendors to set up food trucks. Sell Black history balloons and T-shirts at the event.
Involve Your Faith Community
- Organize a Black History Month prayer picnic indoors and dedicate some time to honor community elders. Serve all the traditional summer fixings for a fun and faithful winter retreat. Raffle off Black history-themed value or raffle packs.
- Have a local Black faith leader, politician, or historian address your congregation each week of Black History Month. Decorate for the month with a Black history banner and balloons.
- Organize a special Black history event with decorations and educational posters. Have the youth groups quiz guests on Black history trivia and award Black history drinkware to those who answer correctly.
Read Black Authors
- Create a reading list of books by Black authors for each grade range. Challenge students to read as many of the books as they can in February. For each book read, give small prizes like pencils, stickers, and buttons.
- For your staff, volunteers, or residents pick a book by a Black author at the start of the month for everyone to read, and give participants a Black history bookmark to mark their place as they read. Organize a book club discussion at the end of the month with coffee, tea, and snacks.
Think Positive when you celebrate Black History Month this year!
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