This Black History Month, we're inspired to look at the future

Black History Month has inspired us to look toward the future. While there’s no time like the present to highlight the contributions, influence, and history of the black community, it’s just as important to do so when February ends—and all throughout the year. Which is why we’re looking ahead. This post highlights five ways to recognize and celebrate the black community today—and every day.

Speak Up

The more people speaking up, the greater the impact. From supporting the “Hands Up Act” to instructions on how to contact your local, state, and federal elected officials, here are just some of the ways to make your voice heard.

• Support the Hands Up Act

• Support efforts to redirect police funding

• Demand Mandatory Life Sentences for Police Brutality

• How to Call Out Racial Injustice at Work

• Contact your Local, State, and Federal elected officials

Show Up

If you’re looking to take even more concrete action, the following resources will allow you to have a tangible, positive impact.   

• Register to vote

• Find your local Black Lives Matter chapter

• How to Be a Better Ally to Your Black Colleagues

Learn Up

From films to books, news outlets to research, there are a myriad of resources we can all use to learn and grow. Here are some of the many ways to support and champion the black community all year long.

Podcasts

• 1619 by the New York Times

• Code Switch by NPR

• Race, Bias, and Justice with Sherilynn Ifill

• Seeing White: How Race was Made.

• The Diversity Gap

Films, TV, and more

• 10 Must Watch Black History Documentaries list by PBS

• When They See Us on Netflix

• A Riot is the Language of the Unheard - Speech from Martin Luther King Jr.

• Before You Call the Cops

• Trevor Noah: George Floyd and the Dominos of Racial Injustice

• The Hate U Give

• 13th

Books & Beyond

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

• How to be an AntiRacist by Ibram X. Kendi

• White Fragility: Why It’s Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD

• Anti-Racism Education, Work and Stories Reading List & Bookshop

• The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs

Media

• Blavity

• Colorlines

• The Grio

• The Root

Research & Statistics

• NAACP: Criminal Justice Fact Sheet

• McKinsey on Covid-19: Investing in Black Lives & Livelihoods

• Washington Post: Imprisonment on Black at Five Times the Rate of White

Celebrate

From virtual photo exhibits to online events at the National Museum of African American History and Culture like "Cultural Expressions," there are many ways to celebrate Black history and culture this month and beyond. Here are just a few to inspire you:

Explore the later life of writer and orator Frederick Douglass in this original exhibit

• Youth Activism In Philadelphia’s Civil Rights Era

• Oakland Museum of California Black Power Exhibit

• A Classic in African American Genealogy: Pauli Murray’s Proud Shoes

• Five ways you can celebrate Black History Month virtually

• Black History Month Virtual Celebration

Donate

One particularly impactful way to support important causes is to donate. In addition to the above four actions, we encourage you to consider learning about and donating to organizations like those listed below.

• Minnesota Freedom Fund

• Reclaim the Block

• Campaign Zero

• Unicorn Riot

• Official George Floyd Memorial Fund

• Support the Fight for Racial Justice

• Black Girls Code

• United Negro College Fund (UNCF)

Thank you for taking time to learn and grow—and celebrate!—with us. We look forward to staying connected as we continue our journey, together.