The 1st of February marks the start of Black History Month, however, as Black men and women, we should all come together in unison to celebrate and honor the work of Black leaders and activists every day of the year. Granted, this entire month is dedicated to illuminating the accomplishments of every of the most important pioneers of the community as well as create a line where our Black past, present, and future collide.
Between the worldwide racial reckoning, the plethora of incidents of police brutality against Black people in American and worldwide along with our collective resilience and insurgence serve as a much needed “call-to-action”. Certainly, this Black History Month is going to hit differently. From the most important milestones of the Black community led by Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B Du Bois to the remarkable accomplishments of Black women, like Shirley Chisholm and Wangari Maathai that have never had received the widespread recognition they deserve as a part of the mainstream history, 2021 is the perfect opportunity to educate yourself on Black History.
The Black History Podcasts Are a Vivid Reminder of Its Origins
What started as an annual, weekly celebration lead by historian, Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915, later on, established as Black History Month by US President Gerald Ford in the ’70s. Half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment eradicated slavery, what was then known as Negro History Week, flourished into a beautiful opportunity for both adults and children to dive deep into Black histories and shed light on Black achievements.
As Ford stated, now is the time to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
The Best Podcast to Educate You on Black History
In honor of 2021 Black History Month, The Hg clothing brand compiled a list of podcasts that aim to educate you on Black History and the myriad of accomplishments throughout it. As an African American apparel company, love and culture are the pioneers of our community, and now is a time of celebration, remembrance, and reflection.
The Humanity Archive is an educational website with a fantastic storytelling-focused podcast. Founder, Jermaine Fowler, is on a mission to share untold and insufficiently exposed stories from Black history. As he stated on Vanity Fair, “A lot of the stories of history are being told from one perspective.” Jermaine, fuelled by his aspiration to bridge the gap, created his website as a way to utilize his passion for historical storytelling surrounded by empathy and mutual understanding between cultures.
Jermaine has highlighted the stories of incredible figures such as Benjamin Banneker, a free Black man who, during the 1700s, step forward to challenge Thomas Jefferson’s views on slavery and martyrs of the American revolutions like Crispus Attucks.
On his latest podcast, Jermaine shared the heart breaking story of the Africans who were ripped from their homes only to be shipped off as slaves to American plantations.
Through first-person narratives and in-depth interviews with some of the biggest scholars, Adena J. White, Kara Wilkins, and Katrina Dupins, highlight the rich local Black history on the Blackbelt Voices podcast. When you think of “Southern culture”, white Southerners might instantly come to your mind, however, this podcast depicts the stories and experiences of Black Americans who live in the south.
“Black Belt’s original term dates back to the early history of Alabama, a region known got its fertile soil, which became a hot-spot for slavery.
The podcasts include thought-provoking essays from writers across the region. Just like their latest episode about Kristy Carter’s newly released study on women of color as business owners and entrepreneurs in Arkansas, “Black Belt” is a celebration of in-depth analysis.
Celebrity narrators including Keegan-Michael Key, Roxane Gay, and Issa Rae make it their mission to map the entire Black history.” Historically Black “ highlights the stories behind listener-submitted artifacts like jewelry, photographs, and instruments. Aspired to create an online “people’s museum” in honor of the struggles and experiences of Black Americans, they teamed up with Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Consider it an intimate look at personal and political history.
Amongst the many impressive episodes, there is an honest talk with the members of an extended Tennessee family who shared their great, great grandfather’s experience as a slave owned by his white, biological father.
Noir Histoir, Natasha McEachron’s passion project, takes us on a multimedia exploration of Black History through inspirational stories as told by the Black diaspora. Prominent figures like Matilda Evans, M.D., Shirley Chisholm, and Anna Julia Cooper come together to examine significant events like the Tulsa race massacre. Moreover, Histoir Noir shares reviews about books, movies, and museums, all related to Black history.
Most notable, Natasha McEachron explored the legacy of a leading civil and human rights activist, Baker, who has been named as one of the most influential women in the civil rights movement holding many authority positions within the NAACP and Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.
The Witness Black History podcast is a BBC-owned extension of its former Witness History podcast. This time, the content revolves around interviews with people who were present or had a close relationship with others who witnessed key moments in Black history.
The episodes include detailed stories as told by Rodney King , George Stinney’s sister as well as deeply personal interviews and testimonies of figures like Black Panther, Earl Neil, who arranged free breakfast means for local school children.
School Colors is an in-depth analysis of how race, class, and power shape American cities and schools. Hosted by Mark Winston Griffith and Max Freedman, each episode shares the stories of a new generation of parents and school educators who fight against educational inequity in Central Brooklyn.
Some of the most popular episodes include interviews with local parents to pinpoint the reasons why since 2002, the number of students in Bed-Stuy’s District 16 has dropped by more than half. The podcast perfectly highlights the importance of learning Black history on a local level.
