February Holiday Spotlight

February is Black History Month in the United States and Canada. Since 1976, February is designated as Black History Month to remember and celebrate the contributions of people of the African diaspora. The theme for 2021 - The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.

As educators and students, we are all still learning. This Black History Month and always, we ask you to dedicate time to recognizing the continuing oppression and discrimination that Black Americans face. We also need to be celebrating and uplifting Black artists, activists, businesses, organizations, public figures, and voices of community members, in and outside of our Seattle Academy walls.

Resources:

• Blackpast
• African American History Month Website
• Carter G Woodson
• Black History Month Resources Guide for Educators and Families
• Associate for the Study of African American Life and History
• Teaching Tolerance- Why We Need Black History Month
• "I Rise"
• Black History Month Playlist of TED talks 
• LANGSTONS Seattle Black Film Festival
• How it Feels to be Free-PBS documentary on Black women in American Cinema 
• Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. We know that for many African Americans family stories and histories have been lost.  Henry Louis Gates Jr. Does a beautiful job talking about this and helping these Black celebrities trace their ancestry.
• Current Event Video Scavenger Hunt Activity: UCLA Gymnast Nia Dennis Floor Exercise from 1/23/21. Find where she pays tribute to Colin Kaepernick (she kneels!), Tommie Smith and John Carlos (she raises a fist!), and Kamala Harris (like a soror, she strolls and she steps!). Oh, and don’t forget the huge double backflip! 

February 12 - Lunar New Year - One of the month sacred of all the traditional Chinese holidays, a time of family reunion and celebration. The Lunar New Year is also celebrated in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Chinese New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs. 2021 is the year of the Ox (transitioning from the 2020 year of the Rat). 

February:

• Black History Month
• February 1 - National Freedom Day
• February 12 - 26: Chinese Lunar New Year
• February 14 - St. Valentine's Day
• February 15 - Presidents Day
• February 16 - Parinirvana Day (or Nirvana Day)
• February 16 - Vasant Panchami
• February 16 - Elizabeth Peratrovich Day
• February 16 - Mardi Gras (Fat or Shrove Tuesday)
• February 17 - Ash Wednesday
• February 25 - 26 - Purim

Written by Taylor Kanemori, Director of Equity & Inclusion