February is Black Futures Month
February is Black Futures Month.
Celebrating Black heritage and futures and working to end anti-black racism should be part of our daily lives. Black Futures Month is a chance to do some (re)learning and to recommit to ending the racism and oppressions Black people experience.
Futures vs History
More proof of Douglass’ awesomeness
Black History Month was created by Carter G. Woodson in the United States in 1926. Woodson chose February because both Frederick Douglass (a very cool guy) and Abraham Lincoln were born during February. Canada didn’t declare February Black History Month until 1995.
In 2015, Black Lives Matter co-founder, Opal Tometi, called for the celebration of Black Futures Month:
The past is a great teacher, but true students and beneficiaries should always ask, ‘where do we go from here?’ It’s our duty to live up to the legacy of those that came before us and not let the sacrifice of our foremothers and forefathers have been in vain. We must envision our future and actively bend the arc towards justice.
Watch the founders of Black Lives Matter, Alicia Garza, Patrissa Cullors, and Opal Tometi:
Ytasha L. Womack asks, in her book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, “But when, even in the imaginary future, people can’t fathom a person of non-Euro descent a hundred years into the future, a cosmic foot has to be put down.”
Check out the round up of Missy Elliot’s impact on afrofuturism:
The Californians for Justice blog reminds us, “To celebrate Black Futures Month, we must continue to push back against the systems that seek to only celebrate footnotes of the past. We must require them to envision a bold, bright and Black future.”
What’s on your feed?
Who you follow matters!
Dr. Nadine Thornhill, sexuality educator and awesome human, created a list of Black sexuality professionals to follow and Assembly of Seven Generations shared some fab Afro Indigenous and Black folks to follow on Instagram:
Taking Action
What are some ways you can take small and large actions that will last a lifetime!
1.Be ready to challenge lies that we’ve been taught about Black culture. (Quite often the best place to start is by challenging ourselves.) Californians for Justice crated this handy checklist:
2. LEARN!
Did you know!?!?!!! You can watch all of The Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s webinars online. For FREE! Take a peek at some amazing topics like Building Inclusive Organizations, Addressing Anti-Black Racism in Our Schools, and Right Wing Extremism in Canada here.
3. Create Anti-Racism Curriculum Year-Round
Teachers! Check out this short and quick guide for educators about black history in Canada.
4. Learn the Truth
The few moments we are taught about Black history in Canada, it’s often about our positive role in the underground railroad, but like most history, glosses over the oppressive or hard to talk about parts. Check out the Black history section of the Canadian Britannica for some well researched history.
If you don’t know when slavery was officially banned in Canada (or that it existed at all), please visit this site.
Even MORE history on the Black Historical Society’s site.
Don’t be like history and forget about whole groups of folks! C. Riley Snorton’s book Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of the Trans Identity is a great read, this month or any time of the year!
#Dothework
Expecting folks experiencing anti-Black racism to always be on call to educate is unfair and disrespectful. Academic and entrepreneur, Rachel Cargle, has a short list of expectations for people who benefit from white priviledge:
Anti-Racism Daily on instagram has a fab post about respecting Black space:
This is just a start. They will be lots more discussion, resources, learning, celebration of Black heritage and culture on the DWS blog!
February is Black Futures Month
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