National Black History Month originated in 1926, when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson first celebrated “Negro History Week.” Dr. Woodson selected this week because it included the birthdays of two key figures in the history of Black Americans: Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation that legally ended slavery in the United States, and Frederick Douglass, who became a famous abolitionist after escaping slavery.
Both Lincoln and Douglass lived in Washington, D.C., and their homes are open to the public for tours. And, Carter G. Woodson, also a resident of D.C. in the early 1900s, has a Memorial Park in NW D.C. Just another benefit of living in the DMV!
We hope these recommendations make your Black History Month that much richer!
8 Kid-Friendly Movies for Black History Month
We are all looking for ways to both celebrate and educate our children on the contributions of Black Americans. Having a fun movie night at home with your children is one way to do it. Here are eight of our suggestions.
1. The Princess and the Frog (2009) – This Disney classic features Tiana, a hardworking and ambitious girl living in New Orleans, who wants to open a restaurant. She meets a handsome prince who has been turned into a frog by an evil doctor, and when he kisses Tiana in an attempt to break the spell, the prince turns Tiana into a frog too! They then go on an adventure to turn themselves back into humans!
2. Hair Love (2019) – This short film follows the story of seven-year-old Zuri who unsuccessfully attempts to style her hair, and her father’s attempt to then style it himself! This Oscar-winning animated short film was also released as a children’s book.
3. Cool Runnings (1993) – One of my favorite childhood movies, this film chronicles the story of four Jamaican bobsledders dreaming of competing in the 1988 Winter Olympics. How do you train to bobsled in a country with no snow? This hilarious film will show you how while showcasing pride in not only Black American culture, but throughout the African diaspora.
4. The Wiz (1978) – Diana Ross. Michael Jackson. Lena Horne. Richard Pryor. Need I say more? Adapted from the 1974 Broadway musical, this film reimagines the Wizard of Oz that we all know and love, in Harlem and in the urban Land of Oz. Start this movie up and just ease on down the road!
5. Space Jam (1996 & 2021) – These Space Jam movies feature two of the most famous basketball players of all time – Michael Jordan and LeBron James – in their quests to defeat the Monstars with a cast of Looney Toons characters. You can talk about the excellence of Black Americans in not only basketball, but many sports.
6. Remember the Titans (2000) – This film, starring one of the greatest actors of all time, Denzel Washington, is loosely based on the true story of Coach Herman Boone’s attempt to integrate T.C. Williams High School, now Alexandria City High School, in our region.
7. Hidden Figures (2016) – This film tells the story of three female Black mathematicians: Katherine Goble Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson, a D.C. native and Howard University graduate), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), who all worked at NASA during the Space Race. They were responsible for the complex calculations in analytic geometry that propelled American rockets into outer space, earning the name “computers.”
8. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) – This adaptation of the novel by Harper Lee, perfectly tells the story of Atticus Finch (played by Gregory Peck who won the Academy Award for Best Actor), a lawyer defending a black man wrongfully charged with rape. This is one of the few films that does the book justice.
Hope you enjoy these recommendations! Continue to share about Black History with your littles be checking out these books.
