How to Observe Black History Month

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Observe Black History Month

The month of February is officially designated as Black History Month by the U.S. Congress. What began as a one-week celebration of the contributions of African-Americans to U.S. History evolved into a month-long celebration to highlight the people and events of Black history in the U.S. and around the world. Here are some ways to celebrate Black History Month.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Find out more about the life of one Black American on each day of the month.
Step 2

View video clips of important moments in the history of the Civil Rights movement (see link below).
Step 3

Read Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Step 4

Learn as much as you can about the Civil Rights struggle (see link below).
Step 5

Visit local museums and art galleries. Nearly all of them will focus on the contributions of Black artists, inventors, musicians and others during this month.
Step 6

Go on a Web Treasure Hunt to find out more about Black History (see link below).
Step 7

Check with local universities and colleges to find out about any special events, seminars and activities planned to commemorate Black History Month.
Step 8

Read at least one book from the following list: Black Like Me (by John Griffin), Black Boy (Richard Wright), Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison), Native Son (Richard Wright), The Color Purple (Alice Walker), Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston).
Step 9

Listen to music. From Scott Joplin to Tupac, Charley Pride to Alicia Keyes, Bob Marley to Beyonce, American music is full of Black influences. Rock, ragtime, rap, rhythm and blues, soul—all these genres of music owe an enormous debt to Black artists and musicians.

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changeling said

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on 2/3/2009 The only book from your list that I would suggest is John Griffin's, Black Like Me, because this was his real life experience posing as a black man. The other books are fictional characters and only give a grim, not so pretty glimpse into the "Black experience" for those time periods so long ago. Let's come 30-40 years in the present. Now you have books like Audacity of Hope by our President Barack Obama, Russell Simmons, author of the 2008 New York Times bestseller Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success. Not to mention Oprah Winfrey's story. The other books you mention on your list only reinforce, in my opinion, stereotypicals about black people that serve no purpose.