February is a time to celebrate all people of color for their biggest accomplishments and even the smallest accomplishments. There is always a good time to make your voices known, and educate yourself and your little ones as well. Acknowledge big leaders' voices and small leaders, they are all important and need to be heard.Black History Month runs from Feb. 1, until Mar. 1.
Educate yourself and young ones about Black History-
There are many ways parents and adults can educate children on Black History month. Whether it's reading books, visiting historical museums, or watching movies and documentaries, there are many effective ways to teach younger generations about the past. Keeping children from deranged news can be a good thing, but it can be hard when it is all over social media and tabloids. If a child is ever curious about race or social injustice, it is important to be completely honest. For children, there are various books to read like “Little Leader”, “Henry’s Freedom Book,” “Of Thee I Sing,”“What We Believe,” “Separate Is Never Equal,” and more.
Expand your knowledge with multiple sources to talk to-
Getting information from more than one source can expand someone's knowledge and can reduce the influence of bias. Knowing information from a first-person point of view can help you get a better understanding of the past and how it was like for them to live. “Not only did he spit on me, but he also called me the n-word and gave me the finger.” Cynthia Frisby said. This is only one of many encounters a person of color has gone through. It can be hard for a person of color to go out one day and not get stared at, called a name, or even have a police encounter just because of the color of their skin.
Bring awareness to the successes within a community-
It’s good to acknowledge and celebrate the people in anyone's community to bring attention to that person's successes. For example, shopping at black-owned businesses, and bringing awareness to them so they can get the credit they deserve. These successes can be celebrated in schools as well, they don't have to be acknowledged in a big way, but let them know you see them and tell them to keep up the work. Just letting someone know that you see their accomplishments can give them a bigger push to work even harder. Expose students to role models of color to help them understand that they are not alone.
Center black leaders that inspire others to make change-
In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president in history. He inspired many adults and children of color to go after whatever they want. This even got better when Kamala Harris became the first woman and African American vice president ever. This year Maya Angelou became the first Black woman to appear on the U.S. quarter. The quarter was inspired by her poetry and represented how she lived her life.
February is a time to celebrate all people of color for their biggest accomplishments and even the smallest accomplishments. There is always a good time to make your voices known, and educate yourself and your little ones as well. Acknowledge big leaders' voices and small leaders, they are all important and need to be heard.