Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Black History Month 2021

February has been dedicated to celebrating Black History Month and recognizing all the many people of color that have made amazing contributions to the world. At UZURI, we celebrate Black History every day. It’s a time to honor and respect the hard work and sacrifices made by African Americans from the past, as well as from the here and now. These trailblazing individuals such as President Barack Obama, first female Vice President Kamala Harris, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, journalist and civil rights activist Daisy Bates, sculptor and activist for African American equal rights in arts Augusta Savage, the first female self-made millionaire Madame C. J. Walker, and many more have shaped, challenged, and strengthened America towards a brighter and better future.

Today, Black History Month continues to be celebrated not just in America but worldwide. Here are meaningful ways you can celebrate Black History Month in 2021.

Share the History

For Black History Month, we want to share a little-known black history fact about the late actress, activist, and lecturer Cicely Tyson. Her career began in 1950 as a model and she soon transitioned into acting, where she played smaller roles in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), The Blacks (1961), and A Man Called Adam (1966). Finally, in 1972 she got her big break playing as Rebecca Morgan in Sounder. In this role, she portrayed a Louisiana sharecropper trying to survive and hold her family together during the Great Depression. The role earned her both a Golden Globe nomination and an Oscar.

Throughout Cicely Tyson’s monumental career in theatre and film, she always chose quality roles that exemplified an African American female’s depth and strength. No matter what role she starred in, she carried herself with eloquence through scenes where many would crumble. Tyson’s trailblazing career spanned over six decades where she starred in notable films such as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), The Trip to Bountiful (2014), and The Help (2011), and in television shows Roots (1977), A Women Called Moses (1978), and How to Get Away with Murder (2014 – 2020).

We encourage you all to watch the notable films and television shows featuring Cicely Tyson with your family and friends. She was a true Hollywood star who pioneered and paved the way for females of color in the arts. If you’d like to learn more about Tyson both on and off the stage, her recently released memoir Just As I Am takes you on a journey from her roots as a young church girl in Harlem to the extraordinary and resilient woman she became.

Support the Community

A great way to support Black History month is through shopping at locally owned African American businesses. Doing so helps create opportunities for meaningful savings, property ownership, credit building, and generational wealth for black communities. Also, donating to nonprofits that provide black communities in need with essential resources, comprehensive career training, educational programs, and technical assistance helps strengthen and empower them.

At UZURI, we will be celebrating 365 days because Black History IS American History, so don’t forget to stop on by! While you’re there, treat yourself to one of our relaxing nail spa experiences to freshen up your hardworking hands and feet.