What to Watch for This Black History Month

The first Black History Month of the decade is upon us. Everyone–black, white, and every shade in between–may have an opinion on these annual 28 days (29 this year – wooh!) dedicated to blackness, but regardless of opinions, Black History Month is hard to ignore if you live in the United States, Canada or the UK. This decade also marks 100 years of African-Americans recognizing Black history; even though Black History Month only became recognized in the United States in the 1970’s, historian Carter G. Woodson first brought up the idea of a Black History Week in 1926.

Here is a short list of some new media to consume this month.

Music to check out:

Birds of Prey

I know that this movie is not a black movie, but I am listing it here because of its soundtrack. The soundtrack includes music from the likes of Doja Cat, Halsey, Jucee Froot, Summer Walker, and, of course, the single “Diamonds” by Megan Thee Stallion and Normani. With such a roster of strong black female artists, the soundtrack will potentially be better than the film itself.

Funeral – Lil Wayne

On January 31, Lil Wayne dropped his 13th studio album. Funeral contains features from Big Sean, Lil Baby, 2 Chainz, and many more. I haven’t had a moment to listen to the album yet, but with 24 tracks and so far mixed reviews, this album may be for only the most dedicated of Weezy fans. Nonetheless, with Lil Wayne’s track record, it may be worth checking out this month. He even went back and added in a last minute tribute to Kobe Bryant.

Fun fact: if you flip the album artwork upside down, it reads “lil wayne” (thanks Twitter).

Young Thug, PartyNextDoor and Jhene Aiko are also expected to drop albums in February.

A movie everybody should check out:

The Photograph

The Photograph, which drops on Valentine’s Day, is described as a romantic drama. Directed by Black Canadian Stella Meghie, the film stars the fantastic Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield, both known for starring in two of the most acclaimed black comedy-dramas in the past decade (Insecure and Atlanta, respectively). What is amazing about this film is that it isn’t trying to be a film centered on black injustice that we are so used to seeing on screen, but it is truly a romance that follows all of the normal conventions. It just so happens to be black. I expect it to be as cheesy as any other romantic movie that comes out around Valentine’s Day, and I’m here for it.

Watch the trailer below.

Google released one of their most inspiring commercials yet:

Google has become known for their often creative commercials, and being the marketing pros that they are, the company usually times and themes these commercials to reflect certain occasions of the year. Last year’s Black History Month commercial that focused on Black Girl Magic was beautiful, but this year’s commercial did a good job of combining originality, nostalgia and cultural pride, while also relying on pop culture to keep the viewer entertained.

The commercial, titled, “The Most Searched: A Celebration of Black History Makers,” informs the viewer of some of the most searched people in history, revealing that many of the most popular high achievements and individuals are of African-American decent. Most of the search results aren’t surprising, since black people really have taken over pop culture (although I wouldn’t have guessed that Prince had the most searched guitar solo and Kendrick was the most searched Pulitzer Prize winner – amazing), but are still great to see visualized. Using found footage to illustrate the search results, the commercial is entertaining, educational and inspiring.

MLK’s audience during his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963
Image: www.9to5google.com

However, the commercial isn’t without its controversies – as 90% of the YouTube comments point out, Michael Jackson is left out of the commercial. As he is likely one of the most googled human beings in history (his 2009 death literally broke the internet), we can only suspect that Google omitted him based on the recent posthumous allegations brought against him. This brings up the question that we will most likely be struggling with for years to come: how do we treat Michael Jackson’s legacy, especially in relation to black history? But that’s a whole discussion on its own, and I’m lying if I say I’m not biased.

Despite the controversies, and the fact that Google is essentially just making a profit off of black achievements, it’s still a great commercial to watch. If you want to do some research this Black History Month and don’t know where to start, Google has you covered with this commercial.

Watch the commercial below.