This is the first of five posts that coUrbanize will post to honor Black History Month. The contributions of Black Americans have long been overlooked in our understanding and celebration of U.S. history. Our hope is that this will change and that Black history is given its rightful significance in our education system and our country’s story every month, not just February.
This year, we are honoring Black History Month by highlighting Black Americans who have shaped how our communities are built, from urban planning to architecture and development.
But I think it’s also important to recognize that we are experiencing a historical moment today, one that is changing our country in ways that we may not even understand yet. So, we will also share information about the people and organizations continuing the work today, the inequities they are tackling and the impact they’re already making.
We’ll publish our first profile on Thursday. I also welcome the opportunity to spotlight other Black historical figures in urban planning, community development and commercial real estate who we have not included – because five blog posts could never be comprehensive.
If you have other posts, links, articles, etc. you’d like us to share with our audience, please email them to marketing@courbanize.com or tag us on Twitter or LinkedIn (@courbanize).
But to start this month, here are a few resources I encourage you to read, follow and support:
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- This year’s theme for Black History Month, provided by The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the founders of Black History Month
- 28 Days of Black History, a virtual exhibit provided by The Anti-Racism Daily and curated by Camille Bethune-Brown and Shanaé Burch (delivered straight to your inbox)
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, which you can buy online from The Frugal Bookstore, a Black-owned store in Boston, or I encourage you to seek out a similar store in your community.
– Courtney Porcella, VP of Marketing & Operations, coUrbanize
