For over 50 years Black History Month has been a national celebration of African American leaders, entertainers, achievements and culture. Black History Month has become an officially recognized observance by the governments of the United States and Canada, as well as recently spreading to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Black History Month is all about paying tribute to the generations of Africans and African Americans who fought through many adversities to be recognized as equals in society and to celebrate their achievements. Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass are among those who are recognized for their contributions to the fight for racial equality.

During this month people celebrate by participating in parades, competing in African poetry reading competitions, enjoying TV specials on black history, and attending peaceful rallies. These activities are good ways to spread the message of Black History Month and bring together the community for a good time. 

Many big corporations also acknowledge Black History Month in different ways. Target is offering a Black History Month collection which contains an assortment of different multicultural products with a theme that relates to African American culture. This year their theme is “Black Beyond Measure.” A third of the products in the collection will be manufactured by black-owned businesses.

  Another example of corporations celebrating and acknowledging Black History Month is sports apparel brand Under Armour, in partnership with NBA point guard Stephen Curry, will be releasing the Curry 7 “Our History” sneaker. The shoe will be heavily inspired by African cultural patterns and the National Museum of African American History. 

United Parcel Service (UPS) will be hosting a panel to honor Ken Jarvis, who was the first ever African American UPS driver.

There are multiple different Black History month events that will take place in the OKC metro area. The Ralph Ellison Library will be holding a guest panelist event to discuss the important history of the not-well-known black t  owns in Oklahoma on Feb. 21 and on Feb. 28. They will also be hosting The Urban Poets which features an open mic night for local poets followed by a movie screening and discussion during the evening. Several virtual events will also take place: on Feb. 10 the Oklahoma History Center will be showing a virtual presentation titled “From Tulsa to Beyond: African American Genealogy in the Indian Territory and Oklahoma.”

It is very important that people take time to reflect on Black History and there are many ways to do that. It’s no wonder why Black History Month has become such a strong tradition and will continue to grow every year.

Contact Jamison Joyce at [email protected]