Ways to Honor Black History Month

With Black History Month being this month, perhaps you’d like to know how your family can celebrate or honor it. Here we share a fun, educational art project for kids, an inspiring history lesson, a fabulous children’s picture book and more.

Did you know? Ever wonder why Black History Month is in February? According to historians, it’s because it coincides with the birthdays of two prominent people in the abolition of slavery: President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

Learn about the Six Triple Eight. Are you familiar with the Six Triple Eight? If not, it would be a great piece of history to discuss with your family. The Six Triple Eight was the first and only Black Women’s Army Corps Unit to serve overseas during WWII. They were given the seemingly impossible mission of sorting through a backlog of undelivered mail between soldiers and their loved ones—17 million pieces of mail that had been stored in warehouses and airplane hangars for 2–3 years! The unit became known as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Learn more about the 6888th Battalion at www.womenofthe6888th.org.

Depending on the ages of your kids, you might consider watching “The Six Triple Eight,” currently streaming on Netflix. Be sure to read parent reviews to help decide. There is also a book that came out last year: No Better Time: A Novel of the Spirited Women of the Six Triple Eight Central Postal Directory Battalion, by Sheila Williams.

Read.

I love this book! Saturday Morning at the ’Shop, written by Keenan Jones and beautifully illustrated by Ken Daley, is an upbeat picture book about the fun, artistry, comradery and community that is experienced by boys, dads, grandfathers, friends and neighbors at the local barber shop.

I love this book! Saturday Morning at the ’Shop, written by Keenan Jones and beautifully illustrated by Ken Daley, is an upbeat picture book about the fun, artistry, comradery and community that is experienced by boys, dads, grandfathers, friends and neighbors at the local barber shop.

Get creative. This Kente cloth paper weaving project from local art teacher Alyssa Navapanich is inspired by the traditional Kente cloth of Ghana. Learn about the cultural significance of Kente cloth, then have kids use colorful paper and markers to create their own designs. Find instructions for this (and other Black History Month projects) at www.sandiegofamily.com/for-the-kids/crafts-for-kids. Did you know? In December 2024, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) included Kente cloth in its category of Intangible Cultural Heritage to highlight it’s cultural and historical significance to the people of Ghana (and beyond).

Celebrate with cake! Support a local Black-owned business by ordering southern-style cake jars from San Diego Navy veteran, Chan Buie of Hey Sugar! Strawberry shortcake, caramel apple, old-fashioned butter cake and more—available at Hey Sugar locations in Old Town or the Gaslamp District. Learn more by following Hey Sugar on IG @heysugar_sweetshopsd. v

Lisa Gipson, managing editor of San Diego Family, is passionate about encouraging families to diversify their bookshelves with stories that feature kids of various cultures and backgrounds.