BLACKHISTORYMONTH
The Future is Now (Canada)Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity (USA)
What is Black History Month?
And why is it important?
Black History Month
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Black History Month
OriginFrom 1976 onwards, every US president
dedicated February as Black History Month. Canada and the United Kingdom also
followed.
Black individuals that have made an impact
The Voices for many Generations
ACTORS
Cicely Tyson● African-American actress and model who quit her
typing job at the age of 18 to pursue her career.
● On an episode of “Between Yesterday and Today”
Tyson was the first black woman to wear her hair
naturally on TV in 1962
Hattie McDaniel● Famous in the 20’s to 50’s
● Actress, singer, songwriter and comedian
● First black individual to win an Oscar (Best
supporting actress for her role in “Mammy” in
the movie Gone with the Wind)
WRITERS
Frederick Douglass● An escaped slave who became an Amercian
Abolitionist and worked to abolish slavery
through his spoken and written pieces
● Check out: “My Bondage and My Freedom”
Maya Angelou● American poet, memoirist, and an award-winning
author whose autobiographies, essays and poetry
explore themes of economic, racial, and sexual
oppression.
● Check out: “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
Check out the link at the end of the slideshow for more!
ATHLETES
Serena Williams●
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Jackie Robinson●
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ACTIVISTS
Fannie Lou Hamer● Voting and women’s rights activist in America and a leader in the civil rights
movement (1954-1968)
● In 1961 she received a hysterectomy from a white doctor without consent.
This was done to reduce the population of black people.
● Co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. In the democratic
national convention she actually was on a live televised broadcast where she
told millions of people about the struggles of voting as a black person
Dudley Laws
● Canadian civil rights activist
● Created the Black Action Defence Committee after
the police shooting of Lester Donaldson in Toronto
(Also because of the abnormal number of black
men being shot by the police)
FILMMAKERS
Oprah Winfrey●
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HISTORICAL FIGURES
● An African-American woman who had (and died from) cervical
cancer
● Doctors took samples of her cancer cells (when she went for a
check-up) without her knowledge
● The source for the first immortalized human cell line (HeLa cell
line) - one of the most important in medical research
● Vital for developing polio vaccine, gene mapping, and MUCH more
Henrietta Lacks Madam C.J. Walker● A philanthropist and entrepreneur
● Born to former slaves and sharecroppers and
orphaned at 7 years old
● Invented African-American hair care products in
1905 that led her to become America’s first female
self-made millionaires
POLITICIANS
Jean Augustine● First black woman to be elected to parliament in Canada
during the 1993 federal election
● First black woman in Cabinet (2002)
● She was the MP that introduced the motion of dedicating
February as Black History Month in Canada (1995)
Kamala Harris● First Black woman to be elected as district attorney in
the city of San Francisco (2004-2010)
● 49th (current) Vice President of the United States of
America
● First African-American and Asian-America Vice
President
ARTISTS
Kara Walker
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Gordon Parks
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INVENTORS
Alice H. Parker
Giving credit where deserved.
● Patented the central heating furnace design
in 1919 that used natural gas for the first time to
heat up homes
● Inspired by the limited efficiency and pollution
of fireplaces
Marie Van Brittan Brown● A full-time nurse
● Created the first home security system in 1966 when she
felt unsafe due to crimes in her neighborhood
● Used cameras, scanners, audio intercommunication
equipment, alarms, locks, etc.
● Inspiration for advancements
Check out the link at the end of the slideshow for more!
Mae Carol Jemison● American engineer, NASA astronaut, physician
● The first African-American woman to travel
into space (1992)
● Spent more than a week orbiting Earth aboard
aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour
Check out the link at the end of the slideshow for more!
SCIENTISTS
Dorothy Johnson Vaughan● Part of the mathematical team that helped launch satellites
(and later humans) into space
● At first: Vaughan’s team separated due to race and gender
(separate dining areas, bathrooms, departments)
● Desegregation a decade later - a more powerful team
Ways to Celebrate/Honour
Incorporating Black history throughout the Year(not just February)
Ways to Celebrate/Honour
Support Black-owned Businesses
https://www.afrobizworld.com/● Nancy K Boutique
(CLothing)● Pili Pili Grilled Chicken
(Restaurant)
Donate to Black Organizations
● Black Lives Matter chapters in your area
● Black Women in Motion (Toronto)
Explore Black history through books, films & documentaries
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● Olympic Pride, American Prejudice (Film)
● La 92, 13th (Netflix)
Ways to Celebrate/Honour
Recognise Black Artists Visit Museums
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● Virtual Exhibitions
● National Museum of African American History & Culture
● Musicians, poets, actors, filmmakers, authors
● Some of Many Black Writers● Some of Many Black Inventors● Some of Many Black Scientists● Black Owned Businesses● Black Lives Matter
LINKS TO CHECK OUT:
CITATIONShttps://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/about.htmlhttps://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-monthhttps://www.weareteachers.com/7-fresh-ideas-for-black-history-month/https://www.biography.com/people/groups/black-scientists#&gid=ci023d0ed6f00025f5&pid=mamievanbrittenlkbhf-660 https://www.oprahmag.com/life/g25954127/african-american-historical-figures/?slide=8 https://abcnews.go.com/US/importance-black-history-celebrated-february/story?id=68618746 https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-54522248 https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/features/5-black-canadian-leaders-who-inspired-a-generationhttps://www.ibiblio.org/sncc/hamer.htmlhttps://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/fannie-lou-hamerhttps://theconversation.com/black-canadian-activists-pressured-to-be-quiet-leaders-111027https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/kamala-harris-latest-democrat-run-president/story?id=60521324