International Activists
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's model of nonviolent resistance, he believed that peaceful protest for civil rights would lead to sympathetic media coverage and public opinion, therefore achieving equal rights. On April 4, 1968, he was assassinated by James Earl Ray. President Johnson called for a national day of mourning on April 7.
Martin Luther King Jr.
This person is one of the greatest heavyweight champions in boxing history best known for his slogan, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee"
Who is Muhammad Ali?
We commemorate the abolition of slavery in the U.S. on this day. It has existed for over 150 years. When the Civil war ended, all slaves were supposed to be released. However, it took over two years before all enslaved people had been informed.
Juneteenth, or June 19th 1865
This plant traveled through the transatlantic slave trade from many parts of Africa. Records of its use date back to the 13th century. The Angolan word for this vegetable is "ki ngombo", since it is a key ingredient in West African gumbo.
Okra
This is the month when African American achievements and contributions are celebrated and taught. It was founded by Carter Woodson, in response to the 1900's exclusion of African Americans/ history from classrooms and literature.
February
This brave person was the first black president of South Africa. He helped lead the end of Apartheid through nonviolence.
Nelson Mandela
This musician popularized Calypso music with international audiences. Popular songs are "Day-O" and "Jump in the line". He won three grammys, was a civil rights activist and was a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr.
Harry Belafonte
Adapted in the UK in 1987, this month serves to acknowledge and celebrate Black contributions to the British society.
October
A West African staple made from cassava, yams, and other ground provisions which is often served with soups or stews.
Fufu
Known as the "King of Reggae", this Jamaican artist helped promote peace, unity and love through his music.
Bob Marley
This person was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist during the civil rights era. He was a spokesman for black empowerment. "It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death. And if you’re not ready to pay that price don’t use the word freedom in your vocabulary."
Malcolm X
A South African choral group comprised of ten men that uses traditional Zulu harmony and modern pop. They have won five Grammys. The Lion King and Sesame Street used their music in their soundtracks.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
This holiday was created in the 1960's as a way to celebrate and honor African American culture and heritage. It is based on African harvest festivals and begins on December 26th and ends on January 1st.
Kwanzaa
This is a rice dish full of various meats an vegetables cooked in one pot. This dish is traced back to the 1300's in the empire of Wolof (modern Senegal).
Jollof rice
This African American activist, who was a key figure in the civil rights movement, famously refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955.
Who is Rosa Parks?
This person led The Haitian Revolution which was the first successful large-scale revolt by enslaved people in modern history.
Nigerian singer, songwriter, bandleader and activist, he is best known for his Afrobeat music, with blended elements of jazz, funk, and traditional Nigerian music. He was a political activist who used his music to speak against his government and its policies. He was arrested, beaten and imprisoned many times but he continued to make music.
Fela Kuti
While Black History Month originated in the U.S., these three other countries recognize Black History Month.
Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
This is a Creole/Cajun rice dish traditionally filled with chicken, sausage, shrimp, okra, celery onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and garlic, all cooked in one pot in spices and oil to taste. This dish pulls from French, Spanish, Indigenous, and West African traditions in cooking.
Jambalaya
This person became the first Black gymnast to win the Individual All-Around in the 2012 London Olympics.
Gabby Douglas
This person was known as the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Formed in Jamaica in July 1914, the UNIA aimed to achieve Black nationalism through the celebration of African history and culture.
Marcus Garvey
The first black actor to win an Academy award, this Bahamian American also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. He paved the way for black actors in film during the Jim Crow era of the civil rights movement, his films depicting racial issues. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1974. For ten years, he was the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan.
Sidney Poitier
This day marks the abolition of slavery in former British territories in the Caribbean and is observed on August 1st each year.
Emancipation Day or West Indian Emancipation Day
This Caribbean cuisine comes from colonizers and slavers' desire to feed their human captives as cheaply as possible. Considered a throwaway part that has so many bones inside, that it is rich in gelatin. Therefore it is usually slow cooked with seasonings and vegetables, and is now a famous signature dish in Jamaica.
Oxtail
Who was the first African American to serve as President of the United States, elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012?
Who is Barack Obama?