While we celebrate Black History Month every year in February, Black history is American history, and it’s important during the rest of the year, too. There are many ways you can continue to learn about Black history, support Black organizations, and contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace throughout the year.
It’s Tuesday, 2-22-22, so we’ve compiled a list of 22 resources to tap into to keep celebrating and learning about Black history and Black Americans’ continued contributions to history, art, literature, science, economics, music, medicine, culture, and more, all year long.
On this #Twosday, explore this list of 22 resources to celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth all year long from @ClearCompany:1. The History of Black History Month
Before Black History Month ends, learn about its founder, its history, and its continued significance today. In 1915, founder and historian Carter G. Woodson attended an event celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation in Illinois, where he was inspired to found the organization that would become the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Established by Woodson in 1926 as a week-long celebration, by 1970, Kent State University began observing Black History Month, which had been proposed by Black students and faculty in 1969. Educational institutions and Black cultural centers across the nation followed suit, and the first official observance of Black History Month, recognized by President Gerald Ford, was in 1976.
"The history of the United States is certainly taught and conveyed all year long, but its greatest symbolic celebration occurs on one day, the Fourth of July. Black History Month, too, is a powerful symbolic celebration. And symbols always stand for something bigger — in our case, the important role of Black History in pursuit of racial justice and equality."
- ASALH
2. ASALH Black History Month Virtual Festival
The ASALH hosted a virtual Black History Month Festival — and it’s not over yet. There are still several events available to attend in February, and these are a few:
- Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET: What You Don’t Know about the Legacies of Slavery: Health and Wellness
- Feb. 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET: Author’s Book Talk Event: Black is the Journey, Africana the Name
- Feb. 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET: Author’s Book Talk Event: An African American Philosophy of Medicine
See the BHM Virtual Festival calendar for all remaining events and to watch recordings of this month’s events. Find all the upcoming events hosted by the ASALH here.
3. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Consultants
Companies and leaders committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion often hire outside consultants to evaluate their DEI needs and direct their initiatives. Working with a DEI consultant gives the entire organization the benefit of an outside — and often underrepresented — perspective. A consultant can help companies develop DEI goals that are effective and impactful and evaluate progress honestly.
You can find DEI consultants using online directories and other resources.
Read about how ClearCompany chose our DEI consultant, Change Cadet.
4. National Association of African Americans in HR
The National Association of African Americans in HR (NAAAHR) was established in 1998 with the mission to “provide a unique global forum for the career development of Black and African American human resources professionals.” The NAAAHR provides networking, career opportunities, educational and professional development, mentorship and coaching and tools, tips, and resources to enhance members’ careers. Check out the NAAAHR’s events and resources on their website.
5. Change Cadet
Dr. Akilah Cadet is the founder of Change Cadet, an organization that provides people and companies with services that support anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging. Dr. Cadet has compiled a collection of resources for white-privileged individuals to “do the work” of anti-racism, which includes understanding white supremacy and ways to dismantle it. Visit Dr. Cadet’s resource page here.
ClearCompany is proud to work with Change Cadet on our own ongoing DEI initiatives.
6. Black-founded Nonprofits
In 2020, Charity Navigator partnered with the philanthropists behind Giving Gap to amplify a list of Black-founded nonprofits. Giving Gap was created by Christina Lewis, the Founder and President of All Star Code, Stephanie Ellis-Smith, Founder and Principal of Phila Engaged Giving, and Dr. David Setiadi, an experienced CTO, CIO, and entrepreneur, with the belief that supporting Black-founded nonprofits is a “critical – yet often forgotten – piece to tackling systemic racism.”
See the list created by Giving Gap and Charity Navigator to support causes you care about in your state and across the U.S.
7. National Museum of African American History & Culture
Continue learning about the theme of this year’s Black History Month, Black Health and Wellness, with resources from the National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC). Learn about the legacy of Black Americans in medicine, the history of midwives and doulas, and continued racial disparities in medical care and research.
"Black History Month is a time to celebrate the fullness of African American history and culture, but that cannot be contained in one month alone. As the world's largest African American museum, we have a responsibility to humanize history and objects through the lives, tragedies, and triumphs of everyday people. This February, we celebrate the theme of Black health and wellness by creating a space that highlights Black pioneers' trailblazing contributions to Western medicine, addresses health disparities facing our communities, and encourages healing through education."
- Kevin Young, Andrew W. Mellon Director, NMAAHC
8. The National Urban League
The National Urban League is a civil rights organization whose mission is economic empowerment, equality, and social justice for African Americans. They do this by establishing programs that provide educational opportunities, job training and skills development, support for entrepreneurs, and more. Their programs also support providing healthcare in underserved communities and eliminating health disparities. At ClearCompany, we support the Urban League by donating proceeds from our Talent Success Conference.
Check out the Urban League’s upcoming events, both virtual and in-person, here.
February is coming to a close, but you can celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth all year long with these 22 resources from @ClearCompany:9. McKinsey Report
McKinsey & Co. recently took a closer look at Black Americans working in the private sector in three parts:
- Their participation in the U.S. private sector economy
- Their representation, advancement, and experience in companies
- A path forward that includes key challenges, actions companies can take, and additional actions for a wider set of stakeholders to accelerate progress on DEI
Read their in-depth analysis of “the immense complexity of the challenge facing many of the Black private-sector workers today” here.
10. LinkedIn Learning courses
LinkedIn Learning offers a variety of courses across myriad topics, including diversity, equity, and inclusion. Try one of their Learning Paths to increase your understanding of inclusivity at work, allyship, anti-racism, and other important topics:
- Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for All
- Build a More Equitable and Inclusive Workplace
- How to Engage Meaningfully in Allyship and Anti-Racism
11. NAACP Resources and Action Items
The NAACP’s website hosts tons of historical and actionable resources for learning about and participating in the fight against structural racism and inequality. Explore the resource library, learn about the issues the NAACP takes on, and find ways you can participate.
12. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Digital Collections
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a division of the New York Public Library that is “devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.” Founded in 1925, the Schomburg Center’s collections span over 11 million items “that illuminate the richness of global black history, arts, and culture.”
You can access digital collections, live stream archives, research guides, and more via the Digital Schomburg.
13. National Archives Digital Black History Resources
The National Archives and Records Administration has compiled a digital library of many historically significant records, as well as additional resources including:
- The African-American Mosaic: A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History & Culture
- African American Women Writers of the 19th Century: A digital collection of full published works by authors including Sojourner Truth and Phyllis Wheatley
- The Black Film Center & Archive: An archive founded by Dr. Phyllis Klotman in 1981 to research, study, and share films by and about Black people
See the National Archives’ complete resource list here.
“I learned that racism, like most systems of oppression, isn’t about bad people doing terrible things to people who are different from them but instead is a way of maintaining power for certain groups at the expense of others.”
- Alicia Garza, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart
14. National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History hosts events and compiles online exhibits and collections for Black History Month:
There are also still a few events hosted by the National Museum of American History to catch before the end of the month — find those, and more exhibits and collections, here.
15. BlackHistoryMonth.gov
BlackHistoryMonth.gov is a collaboration between several organizations: The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The website is an extensive collection of resources from historical exhibits to video and audio clips. Access past events including the Library of Congress’s Hearing Black Voices series and a plethora of online exhibits including African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting — and that’s only a fraction of what’s available to explore.
16. Black social media influencers
There are many Black social media influencers in art, business, technology, and more who you can follow to learn from throughout the year. Here are just a few:
- Arlan Hamilton, founder of Backstage Capital
- Ellen McGirt, Senior Editor at Fortune
- John Henry, co-founder of Harlem Capital
Find more Black influencers to follow here.
17. Seramount resources
Seramount is a thought leadership organization whose research and expertise help drive impactful DEI strategies and solutions. Seramount is part of EAB, an organization whose mission is to drive progress in education. As part of EAB, Seramount “bridges college-to-career gaps” to reduce barriers students face as they break into or transition into the corporate world.
Find Seramount’s DEI research and insights here.
"When we're talking about diversity, it's not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us."
- Ava DuVernay, Filmmaker and Director
18. MIT DEI Resources
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) HR website is home to many useful resources when it comes to DEI at work.
- Remote DEI Toolkit: A toolkit to facilitate courageous conversations about race and other DEI topics with a remote team
- DEI Decision Tree: A tool for identifying goals, guiding next steps, and committing to DEI long-term
- Race Matters: What Can I Do?: An infographic containing actions and ideas you can do immediately to support the Black community
Explore all of MIT HR’s DEI resources here.
19. MasterClass: Lessons from Influential Black Voices
This more than 10-hour Masterclass features seven notable Black thought leaders on race in America, past, present, and future. Instructors include Nikole Hannah-Jones on Black health in America and Civil Rights lawyer and NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill on the 14th Amendment. Other instructors include:
- Angela Davis
- Cornel West
- Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw
- Jelani Cobb
- John McWhorter
Take the MasterClass here.
20. Support Black-owned businesses
ByBlack is a nonprofit organization that certifies Black-owned businesses in partnership with the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Consumers and businesses can also search for Black-owned businesses via ByBlack’s database of certified companies. ByBlack helps Black-owned businesses reach new customers and access more resources so they can grow and succeed.
Check out these other directories for Black-owned businesses:
- Shop Black Owned
- Black Business Green Book
- Eat Okra (Black-owned restaurant directory)
- Official Black Wall Street
21. Read Black authors and explore Black art
With the many online art exhibits and publications available online and via libraries, Black art and literature are more accessible than ever. Here are a few resources to further explore Black artists and authors:
- Booklist for BHM 2022: Black Health and Wellness
- PEN America’s Black Literature – Past, Present, and Future: A Reading List
- African American Art Exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Portraits of African Americans from the National Portrait Gallery Collection
22. ClearCompany DEI Resources
At ClearCompany, we’ve compiled DEI resources designed to support and empower your company in your DEI initiatives. We’re committed to creating a workplace that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive of all. Explore our resource library to find materials including 5 Tips For Better Diversity Hiring and A Quick Guide to Better Candidate Sourcing.
