by Freddie Taylor, CEO of Urban Intellectuals

Not sure who controls your Black History programming, but Urban Intellectuals is looking to shake things up. The company that specializes in Black History Made Easy is ditching the same old discussions on Black History Month and prompting a fresh perspective.

This is LONG OVERDUE.

Stop Talking about the SAME PEOPLE year after year!!

As this country celebrates Black History Month, the discussions are likely to include the same eight to twelve figures year after year. Urban Intellectuals amplify the call for a more diverse, inclusive, and powerful understanding of the past.

It’s not that we don’t acknowledge the importance of figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, etc. We believe there are countless other influential Black figures and events whose stories need to be told and celebrated. We’re committed to broadening the narrative and spotlighting these often-overlooked individuals that can inspire and motivate.”

The problem with only discussing 8 to 12 people

The issue we face pretending Black history is only relevant when discussing the same people over and over, year after year, is it paints the illusion that Black and African people have not contributed much to humanity. This is ridiculous. The Black and African contribution runs vast and deep through the history of humanity.

Yet, our stories are not being told.

Dr. John Henrik Clarke warned, “We are being written out the respectable commentary of history.”

These words ring true to this day. The tragedy is Black people are participating in the death of our history by allowing the conversation to be narrowed to the same 8 to 12 people.

Stop being lazy!!

It needed to be said.

This madness persists because of one of two things.

We are just being lazy and complacent accepting the status quo.
Or you are scared.

You are afraid to push back on the Europeanized, sanitized version of Black history so you don’t upset those that you serve.

Meanwhile, our self-confidence, belief in our community, and our children are being destroyed from the inside out because when they seek greatness in the world, the images that come back don’t look like them. This is a travesty and we must stop this immediately.

Listen. Someone has to shake your shoulders and wake you up. We are still telling the same stories and history from when I was an eight-year-old child. That was almost 40 years ago. When will we raise our heads, straighten our backs, and declare Black History is World History? And the full story needs to be told. We often say that Black History is the greatest motivational story ever told.

Well, it is about time we tell it. Our community is in a critical position. We need positive inspiration and motivation to reign down on us so we can believe in the infinite possibilities of our future.

This Black History Month is a great time to start.

This Black History Month, Urban Intellectuals invites everyone to ‘expand the conversation’ and explore the stories of more than the conventionally recognized figures. This initiative is not just about imparting knowledge, but about fostering appreciation for the breadth and depth of Black history and its enduring influence on our world today.

Urban Intellectuals aren’t just talking the talk, they are walking the walk with narrative-bursting products that illuminate the global contributions of Black people on this planet.

Urban Intellectuals have been seen in Target, Essence, NPR, NewsOne, Fox Soul, Amazon, Black Enterprise, and more.

Almost 500,000 decks of their world-famous Black History Flashcards by Urban Intellectuals have been sold in all 50 states and internationally.

Their 5-deck series of Black History Flashcards features 52 cards in each deck, that’s 260 cards total across the series! They feature history starting over 35,000 years ago and coming up to today. It includes a general history series, all Black women, STEAM contributions, a pre-1492 history, and the Afro-Latin and Afro-Carriebean series.

They have an exclusive Black History Month offer that you should check out to expand the conversation, narrative, and understanding of the contributions to humanity Black people have made.

Did we mention you could win a FREE Trip to Africa?

In sync with their initiative, Urban Intellectuals is hosting a contest offering a FREE trip to Africa. Aimed at facilitating a deeper understanding and appreciation of African history and heritage, interested participants can visit https://store.urbanintellectuals.com/sp/blackhistorymonth24/ for details.

Join the movement

To join the journey of discovering more about Black history, follow Urban Intellectuals on their social media platforms: @UrbanIntellectuals on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X. For any queries, please contact support@urbanintellectuals.com.

About Urban Intellectuals
Urban Intellectuals is the Black History Made Easy company dedicated to expanding the narrative on Black people in history and using it as a weapon to empower them to greatness. This is done through Black history products, like flashcards, playing cards, games for the culture, and even Bingo. They also have the #1 Black History Club for Children, the Sankofa Club. And finally, they take their community on Black History Travel Experiences with their Urban Intellectuals Travel Movement.

(Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Black News.)