From television to the web, there are a bunch of ways you can celebrate Black History Month. Get your fill of facts and more during February 2019!
In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, noted historian, established the first official Black History Week. It took 50 years before the holiday became a month and was officially recognized by a U.S. President, which was Gerald Ford. 2019 marks the 93rd birthday of this important commemoration and there’s no slowing down when it comes to the number of things happening across the U.S.
The official theme for for 2019, as announced by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH),® is “Black Migration.”
Black History Month Series on BlackProGen LIVE
BlackProGen LIVE is coming to you weekly for the month of February! From Reconstruction, to connecting with the slave holder’s descendant, to cemeteries and undertakers, to DNA, we’ve got you covered on all things people of color genealogy related. We’ll have special guests such as author Edward Ball, help with your genetic genealogy questions, and of course all the learning and laughs your heart can take.
We even created a flyer to help get the word out about the series.
Subscribe or set reminders on the episodes of interest so you can join us live!
New on Television for 2019
Monday, February 4, Independent Lens, Black Memorabilia (PBS) – This film “explores the world of racist material, both antique and newly produced, that propagate demeaning representations of African Americans. From industrial China to the rural South to Brooklyn, the film shines a light on those who reproduce, consume and reclaim racially-charged items, from banks to Mammy kitchenware, confederate flags, Nazi insignia and other ephemera.”
Tuesday, February 5, Finding Your Roots – PBS’ seminal show continues through February 2019 and includes Black History Month featuring author S. Epatha Merkerson and television host Michael Strahan.
Wednesday, February 6 – AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, Mama Africa: Miriam Makeba! (PBS) – “Using archival performance footage and interviews with those who knew her best, and with Makeba herself, the documentary examines the life of the iconic South African singer and activist.”
Monday, February 11 – Independent Lens, Hale County This Morning, This Evening (PBS) – “Visit the world of Hale County, Alabama. Composed of intimate and unencumbered moments in the lives of people in the community, the film offers a richly detailed glimpse at life in America’s Black Belt.”
Wednesday, February 13 – AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, Mama Colonel (PBS)- “Set in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the program follows Honorine Munyole, known as Mama Colonel, as she leads a special police force charged with addressing violence against children and women in a country struggling to heal the wounds of war.”
Tuesday, February 19 – American Masters – Sammy Davis, Jr. (PBS) – “Explore the entertainer’s vast talent and journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th-century America.”
Wednesday, February 20 – AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange: The Faces We Lost (PBS) – “This moving documentary introduces nine Rwandans and chronicles their efforts to use photographs to help keep alive memories of loved ones lost during the 1994 genocide.”
Friday, February 22 – American Masters – Charley Pride (PBS) – “Explore the complicated history of the American South and its music through the life of country star Charley Pride.”
Wednesday, February 27 – AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange: While I Breathe, I Hope (PBS) – “The film follows the against-all-odds 2014 campaign of Bakari Sellers, a young, black Democrat running for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina.”
Free Screenings of Black Panther at Selected AMC Theaters
In honor of Black History Month, Disney has teamed up with AMC Theaters to offer free screenings of 2018’s theatrical juggernaut, Black Panther from February 1-7. Secure your tickets by clicking here. Disney is also upping the ante by donating $1.5 million to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
Online Series
SAY IT LOUD – “Produced in partnership with KLRU-TV in Austin, Texas, the series’ will dive into the history behind cultural tropes and touch points, and focus on relatable experiences of modern Black American life, exploring media, public affairs and social media trends like #GrowingUpBlack and #BlackGirlMagic. For example, audiences can expect to see episodes that highlight things they didn’t know were invented by Black people, the meaning of Black pride and the experiences of first generation Africans in America compared to African Americans.”
Online Exhibits
The Omar Ibn Said Collection – “Consists of 42 digitized documents in both English and Arabic, including an 1831 manuscript in Arabic on The Life of Omar Ibn Said, a West African slave in America, which is the centerpiece of this unique collection of texts. Some of the manuscripts in this collection include texts in Arabic by another West African slave in Panama, and others from individuals located in West Africa.”
You can follow up your online visit with a trip to “Conversation on Omar Ibn Said Collection” hosted by the Library of Congress taking place Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at the Thomas Jefferson Building – LJ119 from 10:00am-3:00pm.
Contribute
- Transcribe for the Library of Virginia to add to their “Virginia Untold: African American Narrative Project.”
- Index Texas World War I Draft Cards, 1917-1918 [Part A] for FamilySearch
- Index North Carolina—Index to Vital Records, Births, 1800–2000 [Part A] for FamilySearch
- Index North Carolina—Index to Vital Records, Births, 1800–2000 [Part B] for FamilySearch
- Index Virginia—World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 [Part A] for FamilySearch
- Find your local 1619/400th Anniversary Event care of ASALH
- Order a calendar, t-shirt, or bag to support the the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)
Read
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
- Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
Learn
- Watch to the archive of BlackProGen LIVE!
- Listen to the archive of the African Roots Podcast
- Listen to the archive of Research at the National Archives and Beyond
On Demand Documentaries
- Quincy (Netflix)
- Birth of a Movement (Amazon Prime Video)
- What Happened Miss Simone? (Netflix)
- Spies of Mississippi (Amazon Prime Video)
- Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark (Netflix)
- Freedom Summer(Amazon Prime Video)
- Chasing Trane (Netflix)
- The Uncomfortable Truth (Amazon Prime Video)
- I Called Him Morgan (Netflix)
Podcasts
- Uncivil (Gimlet Media)
- Bronzeville (Scripted Audio Drama with an all-star cast)