A Recap of Our 3rd Annual Black History Month Blog Campaign

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Dear Community,

We made it! 29 days days of blog posts dedicated to celebrating the historical and world changing contributions of Black Americans alongside the complex and complicated history and legacy that being Black in America means for us today.

What we accomplished:

• Guest contributions from 12 contributors
• Regular featured contribtuor Chris Thompson wrote a record (8) articles during the campaign
• 540Blog blog was featured on local radio show WXXI’s Connections
• And our (sold out) class Black history didn’t begin with slavery was covered on WXXI news
• During the month 540Blog had 4,171 unique visitors

There is literally an endless number of achievements and little known facts to celebrate and it never ceases to amaze (and infuriate) me just how much about African and foundational African-American history that I was never taught. This alone makes the campaign worth the enormous amount of effort that it takes to run each year. This year was extra special as 540Blog was graced by the words and thoughts of twelve guest contributors and I am truly thankful and grateful for every single person that took the time to write about the Black trailblazers and change-makers that are meaningful to them.

We are making new history everyday and this month brought with it powerful and polarizing conversations and viral moments in our twenty-four hour news cycle. We engaged in social media driven conversation about systemic racism by powerfully racist billionaires, toxic masculinity in the Black community, and misogynoir. This included discussions about the legacy and white-washing of black women suffragists and their contributions to the passing of the 19th amendment.

This Black History Month was also one of great loss. We celebrated the lives of legends gone too soon but not without making a mark on the world and etching their place in the historical cannon. These legends included Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, Katherine Johnson, Ja’Net Dubois, B. Smith, and others. And it was all of this that I tried very hard to encapsulate right here on 540Blog and our social media platforms. At my core I am a content creator and now editor/publisher and curating and holding space for these conversations through written word is a passion and honor that I take very seriously. Thanks to every single one of you that read our content, left a comment, and sent notes of positive encouragement. Knowing that you see this work and appreciate this work makes it that much easier to be the change I wish to see in the world.

With Love,

Calvin, Publisher

3rd Annual 29 Days of Little Known Facts About (Black Americans) Blog Campaign

1. What to Black Women Is the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage? | Robin Wilt
2. The Complicated Legacy of Kobe Bryant | Chris Thompson
3. Mary Elizabeth Bowser and The Art of Layered Espionage | Jackie McGriff
4. Jo Ann Robinson Leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott | Chris Widmaier
5. African-American Artists, Artwashing & The Erasure of Black Art | Calvin Eaton
6. All About Melanin | Calvin Eaton
7. Race Is A Social Construct | Calvin Eaton
8. #BlackYouthMatter, Vol I: Celebrations and Remembrances | Chris Thompson
9. Black Women Suffragists: Trailblazers | Calvin Eaton
10. The Hidden Book of Zora Neale Hurston | John Strazzabosco
11. How a Traditional Indian Approach to Hair Care Saved My Afro | Tianna Mañon
12. In Celebration of Black Hair (Or Lack Thereof) | Chris Thompson
13. Irene Morgan Refuses to Change Seats on Bus | Calvin Eaton
14. Shirley Chisholm: Unbought and Unbossed | Calvin Eaton
15. First Ever All Black News Network Launches in U.S. | Calvin Eaton
16. Phillis Wheatley: The First Great American Writer | John Strazzabosco
17. #BlackYouthMatter: Vol II | Chris Thompson
18. Saartije Baartum: On Display | CaTyra Polland
19. Ella Baker: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest | John Greenbaum
20. Two Players, Queerphobia & Misogynoir | Chris Thompson
21. Okay, Rochester, Let’s Talk About Susan B. and White Feminism | Kristen Seversky
22. The Complex Price of Integration | Calvin Eaton
23. #BlackYouthMatter: Vol III | Chris Thompson
24. Do You Know George Crum? | Calvin Eaton
25. Understanding The Racial Wealth Gap | Calvin Eaton
26. A Lesson on Intersectionality, Part I | Antoinette Gregg
27. How to Celebrate Black History Month on Social Media | Emily Hessney Lynch
28. Another Look at Anna, the Other Douglass | Rachel Y. DeGuzman
29. #BlackYouthMatter: Vol IV | Chris Thompson

About 29 Days of Little Known Facts About (Black) American History

29 Days of Little Known Facts About (Black) American History is an annual blog campaign curated by 540WMain that has a mission to promote and share little known facts about Black Americans everyday throughout the month of February. Now in it 3rd year the campaign highlights the life and work of past and present day Black Americans that are overlooked or underrepresented in our conversations about American history.

540WMain will celebrate its 4 year anniversary with a party and extravaganza on Saturday June 20, 2020. In just four years the organization has become a pillar in the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood and a convener and curator of important and vital community conversations, classes, and programs. Your financial support helps us scale up this work in 2020 and beyond with a year long fundraising goal of $40,000