February is Black History Month, a national recognition of the crucial existence of Black communities in our country's tarnished history. If you're not already educating yourself about Black achievements (and the injustices the community has faced) year-round, this month is the time to do so. And being stuck inside is no excuse.
Recognized at the federal level since 1976, Black History Month was championed in the early 20th century by Black scholars and religious leaders like historian Carter G. Woodson. What is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) celebrated the first Black history week in 1926. It took 50 years of lobbying and education campaigns by the ASALH, combined with the national prominence of the civil rights movement, for the week to become a month, and for the federal government to recognize it as a national holiday. Now, the month is celebrated by federal offices, schools, and communities through things like educational events and special exhibits, and has influenced similar national holidays around the world.
The month has also always had a theme, from 1975's "Fulfilling America’s Promise: Black History Month" to 2020's "African Americans and the Vote." As ASALH describes, this year's is "Black Resistance," a reflection on historic and ongoing oppression and a call for everyone "to study the history of Black Americans' responses to establish safe spaces, where Black life can be sustained, fortified, and respected."
While a singular month is not going to make up for a historical foundation of racism and erasure, here are a few exhibits available online that can start filling that gap.
1. Google Arts & Culture, Black History Month collection
For a centralized source of online learning opportunities, check out the Black History Month collection on the Google Arts and Culture site, which features photo galleries, videos, virtual tours of museums, and more modern reflections of Black history and culture. Access Google's compiled collections of media made by Black artists, like the Smithsonian's African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond; biographies of famous Black Americans, including sculptor Edmonia Lewis and civil rights lawyer Pauli Murray; as well as personal letters from modern Black celebrities like Yara Shahidi and Nas.
The site also hosts a central database of online accessible exhibits from museums and cultural institutions across the country, including many listed below, as well as Carnegie Hall's interactive tribute to civil rights leaders and the National Park Services' virtual walkthrough of African American heritage sites.
2. The National Portrait Gallery Collection, Portraits of African Americans
These special additions to the general national gallery were first introduced through the Harmon Foundation Collection in the 1940s, with a goal to "counter racist stereotypes and racial prejudice through portraiture," the gallery explains. The first portraits were commissioned from two Black woman artists, Betsy Graves Reyneau and Harlem Renaissance artist Laura Wheeler Waring. Since then, the portrait gallery has been expanded and is available for online viewing. Along with portraits of former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, it includes portraits of 18th-century poet Phillis Wheatley, congresswoman and first woman candidate for president Shirley Chisholm, and Henrietta Lacks, known for contributing the first immortalized line of cells in the study of cancer — all Black women who have often been left out of historical narratives.
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3. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Subversion & The Art of Slavery Abolition
The center has multiple online-only exhibits hosted on the Schomburg Center website. Subversion and the Art of Slavery Abolition features art and images, like anti-slavery poems, mass-produced pamphlets, and education primers for children, used by anti-slavery advocates in the fight for abolition. The exhibit dives deep into the impact of abolitionist media on U.S. and British public consciousness. You can view all of their online exhibits here.
The center is also hosting a month's worth of virtual talks featuring writers and Black historians, including the "Between the Lines" series, which highlights new published collections of Black history. Anyone can sign up to participate or watch the archived series on the Schomburg Center's website after the fact.
4. The National Women’s History Museum, Standing up for Change
In 2016, the National Women’s History Museum launched this online photo exhibition documenting the role of Black women during the civil rights movement as leaders, organizers, and faces of the movement. As the exhibit states, "African American women were the critical mass, the grassroots leaders challenging America to embrace justice and equality for all." The website features art and documents dating from early anti-abolition efforts all the way to the mid-20th century.
These are just a few exhibits featuring a small percentage of the often ignored, simplified, and unknown histories of Black Americans. Use these resources as a starting point, and continue doing the work to deepen your knowledge of Black history this February.
Topics Social Good
