2023 THEME:
BLACK RESISTANCE

By resisting, Black people have achieved countless feats, including the end of slavery, increased political and media representation, and the passage of legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Black History Month began in 1926 as a weekly celebration of African American history, and became a month-long observance in 1976.

February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Black Resistance

A statement from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH):

Black resistance strategies have served as a model for every other social movement in the country, thus, the legacy and importance of these actions cannot be understated.

As societal and political forces escalate to limit access to and exercise of the ballot, eliminate the teaching of Black history, and work to push us back into the 1890s, we can only rely on our capacity to resist.

This is a call to everyone, inside and outside the academy, to study the history of Black Americans’ responses to establish safe spaces, where Black life can be sustained, fortified, and respected.

Celebrate the Black men and women who made history.

impact of the black lives matter movement

Black Lives Matter normalized the filming of police brutality toward Black individuals, leading to global awareness of the problem.
Black Lives Matter led to the implementation of various policy and organizational changes to policing, such as implicit bias trainings, body-worn cameras, and bans on no-knock warrants.
Black Lives Matter helped illuminate the inordinate amount of money spent on policing and civilian payouts for police brutality that come out of taxpayer pockets.
Black Lives Matter helped to inspire federal oversight for pertinent cities like Ferguson, Louisville, Baltimore, and Minneapolis.
Black Lives Matter modified data collection efforts in police academies, police departments, and the federal government to evaluate whether current policies effectively reduce racial disparities.
Black Lives Matter is etched in yellow paint on the street outside of the White House.

RESOURCEs

Safe Black Space
Umbrella under which various services are offered to address people of African ancestry’s reactions to cultural and racial trauma.

Dr. Ebony’s My Therapy Cards
Self-exploration card deck created with the intention of helping women of color grow and elevate in the areas of emotional and mental health.

Therapy for Black Girls
Online space encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls; referral tool to find a local therapist.

Loveland Foundation
Financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy.

Therapy for Black Men
Therapist directory for Black men seeking therapy, including resources and personal stories.

National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC)
Civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people.

1. Black History Month was created by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1976.
2. Around 100,000 enslaved people escaped via the Underground Railroad from 1810 to 1850.
3. The first Black Senator was Hiram Rhodes Revels, representing Mississippi from 1870 to 1871.
4. Months before Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat to a White man in 1955, Claudette Colvin was arrested for doing the same.
5. Thurgood Marshall became the first Black man to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967.
6. The Black U.S. population in 1870 was 4.8 million. In 2020, it was 47 million.
7. Black entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker became America's first female self-made millionaire.
8. In 1904, George Coleman Poage became the first Black person to earn an Olympic medal.
9. The first Black astronaut in space was Guion Bluford in 1983.
10. Enslaved poet Phillis Wheatley was only 12 years old when she became the first published Black female author.

mental health & the black community

Stigma often prevents Black people from seeking treatment for mental illness. Many feel that discussions about mental health are inappropriate even among family.
Binge drinking, smoking (cigarettes and marijuana), illicit drug use and prescription pill misuse are more frequent among Black adults with mental illnesses.
Black adults are more likely to feel sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness than White adults.
Blacks adults are less likely than White adults to die from suicide at all ages, but Black teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide than White teenagers.
Serious mental illness (SMI) rose among all ages of Black people between 2008 and 2018.
Black people hold beliefs related to stigma, psychological openness, and help-seeking, which in turn affects their coping behaviors.
Nearly 90% of Black people with a substance use disorder do not receive treatment.