Belonging Resources for Black History Month

February is Black History Month and we wanted to share a few resources exploring the origins of observing Black history, its integration with American history, and its contemporary impact.

• “About Black History Month”: This site, curated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (the nonprofit responsible for creating and celebrating Black History Month), shares the history behind observing Black History Month, along with information about how you might commemorate the month on your own. 
• “Historical Foundations of Race”: This collection was curated by the National Museum for African American History and Culture and discusses how notions of race have persisted throughout our history. It contextualizes how embedded Black history is in the story of America. 
• “Historically Speaking: Black Joy”: This talk features author Tracey Lewis-Giggets, professor and author of “Black Joy: A Strategy for Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration,” which illustrates the power of Black joy as a resource to draw upon even in the midst of trauma.

These resources, from the Council of Independent Colleges BELONG Network, provide insight into the important role that Black history plays in the telling of the story of America. As always, many of these observances provide key opportunities for us to build lasting and meaningful connections, which as we know, is critical for us to foster inclusive environments where everyone belongs.  

In reviewing these resources, a few questions to consider include:

• How do we currently observe Black History Month on campus?
• How do our campus traditions, symbols and spaces reflect Black history and experiences?
• How do you hold space for joy while honoring difficult times in our history? 
• What is one thing that you can explore to learn more about Black history? 

These questions allow us to take stock of how we talk about history while creating opportunities to cultivate cultural humility, cultural pluralism and cultural wealth. As we commemorate Black History Month, let us embrace both the responsibility to acknowledge our complete history and the opportunity to celebrate resilience, achievement and joy.