Celebrating Black History Month as a Family

Published on January 31, 2022 - Updated on January 31, 2022

Thoughtful Ways to Honor Black History With Your Kids.

The greatest gift we can give our children is education, and Black History Month is a necessary reminder that we must do so actively. The personal stories of talented and life-altering African Americans are shockingly underreported. February is an important opportunity to celebrate and highlight incredible people that have more than earned such recognition.

Introduce your children to the complexity of our nation's history and the many critical contributions of African Americans to society without hesitation. It is a crucial conversation, and it can never start too early. Here are some meaningful ways to ignite conversation, teach your children, and celebrate diversity in a positive way.

Explain

In 1915, historian Carter G. Woodson co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which later declared the second week of February as "Negro History Week" to recognize the contributions of African Americans to our country. The particular week they selected coincides with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass (the abolitionist) and Abraham Lincoln, our President during the Civil War, who helped end slavery. Established in 1976, Black History Month "honors the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."

Research

Check out books on Martin Luther King, Jr., President Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey, and other black political and cultural leaders. Your local librarian might be able to help you find treasures like "Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad" by Ellen Levine. As you read the books exploring black history month together, talk openly about diversity, inclusion, and love (another theme for February).

Create

Make a Diversity Collage: I found this idea on Pinterest and thought it was simple, creative, and fun. You simply grab some construction paper, glue, scissors, and a few magazines and/or newspapers. Together, you and your child cut out as many "different-looking" people as possible to create a collage. If available, you can also build your collage with different people as well as symbols that stand for peace, love, and inclusion (example: hearts, peace signs, hugs, etc.).

Inspire

Talk about Eggs: This is really simple and hands-on as well as very effective for children. All you do is take a brown and a white egg. You talk about the external differences – the shape, color, size, texture, patterns of the shell. Once you have done that, you then crack them open in two separate containers and compare and contrast the inside yolk. Your child will discover that though things look different on the outside, the insides are very similar – just like people.

Celebrate

Celebrate contributions of black people through games and crafts: There are many cultural contributions from black people in our history, so select a few and discuss them with your child and how he or she made the world a better place. A great example is Garrett Morgan, inventor of the traffic light. Play "Red light, Green light" with your child, create your own traffic light made of construction paper, or even have a snack of red, yellow and green bell peppers and hummus.

Take Part

Eat at an African restaurant: There is a lovely Ethiopian restaurant in Nashville that is kid-friendly and the cuisine is quite different from our norm. Check out your own town for African or African-inspired restaurants (Caribbean, Southern, etc.) and talk to your child about how contributions from people who are culturally diverse make our society better than if everyone was the same.

Pay Attention

Each and every weekday during the month, The View covers an incredible African American innovator who has made a meaningful and, in most cases, heartwarming contribution to society. Their selections are creative and powerful, so take inspiration from the show's choices and highlight their amazing accomplishments over dinner. Some of their most inspiring highlights have been children, and it is a unique way to empower your own to make a difference in the world.

Additionally, please check out our blog for more inspiration, and as always, please share your family's highlights by tagging us on Instagram @gethappyly. We love hearing from you!

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Thoughtfully captured by:

Emily O'Grady

Emily O'Grady lives with her daughters Eloise (5) and Charlie (3.5), husband Mick, and their two senior dogs Porter and Francie, in Nashville. They’ve called Music City home for 7 years this September. After Emily and Mick met in New Zealand over 15 years ago, they’ve hiked and backpacked extensively across the globe for months at a time. In their new roles as parents, they’ve hit pause on their most extreme adventures for now, but they are consciously raising their daughters to love and appreciate nature, getting outside and exploring as much as they can in the hills of Tennessee and beyond. During the weekdays, you can find Emily leading teams across Asurion’s Product Development team, bringing the company’s service strategy to life across carrier clients. Before joining Asurion, Emily was an Engagement Manager for McKinsey & Company for 4 years, as well as held Analyst roles with Telephia (Nielsen) and Bank of America Global Corporate and Investment Bank. Emily holds a BBA in Finance, French and European Studies from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.