Every February, in honor of Black History Month, I do the same thing—I press play. I engulf myself in films that depict what we, as a people, have endured. One minute I’m watching Ruby Bridges, the next I’m deep into Rosewood, then somehow I’ve landed on Remember the Titans. No algorithm needed. No particular lists. My spirit already knows where to go.
WHY I REVISIT THE HARD STUFF
People ask me why I do this to myself. Why revisit pain? Why sit with stories that make your chest tighten and your throat ache?
Because it reminds me.
Because it keeps me grounded.
It’s easy, too easy, to forget how much was carried so we could casually exist. To forget that our ability to choose how we show up is a privilege paid for by people who didn’t have options, only courage.
I’M NOT THE LOUDEST VOICE IN THE ROOM (OR THE INTERNET)
Here’s the thing, though: I’m not the girl who’s going to be the loudest one screaming for racial equality. And truthfully, you may not find me at a protest.
But you will find me giving space.
You will find me creating opportunity.
You will find me doing the quiet work that often goes unseen.
THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO MAKE HISTORY
Going back to watch those movies reminds me that I don’t have to be the loudest one to make a difference… eventhough sometimes social media will have you feeling like you’re doing enough. But our history was never built by just one type of person.
Some people marched.
Some people taught.
Some people built businesses.
Some people sheltered, funded, mentored, documented, organized, protected, and loved.
And while Black history is often treated as something we honor once a year, we know—it’s being lived, shaped, and carried every single day. February may be the reminder, but the responsibility doesn’t end on the 28th.
SO… WHAT WILL YOU DO?
As we enter this month, with everything happening around us, everything trying to exhaust us, distract us, and numb us—I’m asking a gentle but necessary question:
What are you going to do to contribute to Black history? How will you remind yourself of what those before us did—so you don’t waste the freedom they fought for?
If you need a starting point, here are a few ideas—no megaphone required:
• Revisit our stories. Watch the films. Read the books. Listen to the interviews. Let yourself feel it.
• Support Black-owned—intentionally. Not just this month, but build it into your habits.
• Create access. Share resources. Make introductions. Put someone in a room they wouldn’t normally be invited into.
• Preserve memory. Ask elders questions. Record stories. Write things down.
• Invest back. Time, money, mentorship—whatever you have, use it.
• Rest unapologetically. Joy and sustainability are also acts of resistance.
Black history is something we’re actively writing. Every day. Every choice. Every quiet act that compounds over time.
You don’t have to be the loudest one.
Just don’t be absent.
#keepstruttin