Indianapolis Moms: Celebrating Black History all year long
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Each February, people all around the world celebrate the history and achievements of African Americans, but some argue that festivities shouldn’t be limited to one month.
Deandrea Beaven with Indianapolis Moms is one of the people who made a pact to celebrate Black history throughout the year.
“Our history is rich and can not be fully appreciated in just one month,” said Beaven.
Beaven says the decision came about when sje was reading a story about Harriet Tubman to her children. She says they were enthralled.
“I made a declaration in my family that we will be celebrating our history 365 days a year,” said Beaven.
There are a number of ways to honor black history every day. Beaven suggests the following:
Reading
- Selecting/Purchasing books about people of color or by black authors.
- “Trayvon: Ten Years Later” by Sybrina Fulton
- “Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X” by Ilyasah Shabazz
- “Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America” by Ibi Zoboi
- “When No One Is Watching” by Alyssa Cole
- Downloading/Purchasing audiobooks about people of color or by Black authors.
- “The Book of Baraka” by Ras Baraka
- “Zero O’Clock” by C.J. Farley
- “MotherStruck! by Staceyann Chin
- “Sex, Race, and Robots” by Dr. Ayanna Howard
Movie Night
- Renting or purchasing movies that tell showcase black culture and or explain civil rights struggles.
Soul Food
- Soul food recipes have pre-slavery influences, as West African and European foodways were adapted to the environment of the region.
Beaven says celebrating Black history also comes with benefits.
“Educating each other allows us to truly have hard conversations and that leads to healing. We need that now more than ever.”
You can click here to find the full list of suggestions on the Indianapolis Moms website.
Click on the video above to watch the full interview.