Unofficial Challenge: Black History Celebration

Forward:

February 28th, 10:53 PM, EST... The final hour of Black History Month, 2026.

Hello fellow writers. I've had this challenge waiting in my drafts for most of the month. But I held off on publishing it, until now.

That's intentional.

I'm deliberately making this challenge public in the final hours of Black History Month, and extending the run time through March because I want to emphasize that Black History is all year.

As a pretty much average white guy, I know I've got plenty to learn about Black History. But one thing I do know is that Black History is huge-- no matter how much time we dedicate there will always be more to learn and to celebrate.

And that's my goal with this challenge: to learn a little bit more about Black artists, innovators, and leaders who have changed the world for the better.

Though the Black History Month is drawing to a calendar close, please join me in celebrating some more Black history anyway!

On to our prompt, here's what's been waiting in my drafts:

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Ever wonder why Black History Month lands on the shortest month of the year?

The cynic in me just can't help assuming the worst....

So I asked google: why February? and I learned this month was chosen to honor the birthdates of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

The first bit makes perfect sense. The second? Not so much. At least, not to me.

But then again, I'm my perspective is limited. I'm no authority on who's worth celebrating this month.

But I'll share my reasoning:

Douglass was a man who escaped slavery and then used his intellect and command of the written language to fight in earnest for those of his people who were still trapped in bondage— This put a target on his head. Being labeled a fugitive, Douglass risked being abducted and thrust back into slavery if he didn’t keep a low profile. And still, he spoke up, boldly, incurring the hate of slavers throughout the nation.

If you're not familiar with his work you really should check out his autobio which is in the public domain, available here: https://gutenberg.org/files/23/23-h/23-h.htm

For those in the US, Douglass is an American hero-- not just a clear voice of conscience and truth for an age when the rule of law was in violation of human rights, but a timeless voice still relevant today. His unflinching and precise criticisms of white supremacy and the systems of abuse carry insights that still ring true today.

I’m glad to celebrate a man like Frederick Douglass this month.

But I think it's a little strange to honor Lincoln on Black history month. I mean, first off, he's not Black....

I get that white people can and should be allies. We can support and amplify Black voices. But does it makes sense to honor a white ally on this particular month?

I don't think so.

Not even if we're talking Lincoln, the "Great Emancipator".

Yes, his role in the advancement of racial justice was significant.

But specifically honoring him during Black History Month really reads like showcasing a "White Savior" to make the month more palatable for whites who aren't allies.

Fuck that.

To me, this month is a time to honor Black heroes and celebrate Black culture.

Another reason it seems really bizarre, to me, to honor Lincoln's birthday with the designation of Black History Month is because while Lincoln will always be know as the Emancipator, he was officially and by his own admission more concerned with the preservation of the union than with the destruction of slavery. (https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/greeley.htm)

I'm not saying he didn't care about the advancement of Black people. But he made it pretty goddamned clear that he'd willingly impede the abolition of slavery-- or even support slavery-- if it meant better preserving the Union. Is that the kind of public sentiment we should be raising up on Black History Month?

Frederick Douglass himself, while speaking at a dedication for a memorial to Lincoln had this to say:

To protect, defend, and perpetuate slavery in the states where it existed Abraham Lincoln was not less ready than any other President to draw the sword of the nation. He was ready to execute all the supposed guarantees of the United States Constitution in favor of the slave system anywhere inside the slave states.

The Emancipation Proclamation was something between a political maneuver and a social-justice afterthought. So I don't see the worth in honoring Lincoln by placing Black History Month around his birthday.

So, in my mind, February was chosen-- not because it's the shortest month of the year, and not because of Lincoln, but because of Douglass-- a Black American hero who fought relentlessly and totally for abolition.

And I intend to celebrate Black History this month and beyond by learning more about and celebrating Black people to we can all be inspired by.

So I'm issuing an unofficial writing challenge!

Here's the prompt:

Write an educational piece about 5 or more specific Black people from history whom you personally admire-- at least 3 of these figures must be Black women!

This contest closes at the last minute of March, EST.

I think the easiest way to present this information would be in a list format, with names in bold, or as separate headings, then a couple paragraphs about each figure, explaining why their life, work, and legacy should be celebrated.

Your choices of Black heroes can be historic figures, or they can be individuals who are in the public eye today-- after all the onward march of human history also includes the now!

Your choices may be leaders in the fight for racial justice and civil rights, but this is NOT a requirement. Feel free to write your admiration for Black artists, actors, musicians, writers, athletes, chefs, or even internet personalities-- any Black figures who excel in their fields or who command your admiration on a personal level are fair choices!

Oh-- and I should add, you are certainly welcome to write about multi-cultural or biracial figures here, as long as a part of their identity is Black.

While the February Black History Month is not a worldwide thing, this challenge is open to writing about Black figures from anywhere in the world. The heroes you decide to write about do not necessarily have to be North American!

Also your choices need not be famous individuals. If you want to, you can write about and celebrate somebody from your personal life who is Black. However, I urge you to protect the privacy of your friends and family... if you decide to write in honor of somebody you know personally, you may want to consider running it by them before including any details that could be potentially identifying information.

So this prompt is pretty wide open in terms of who you'd like to write about! That said: fictional black people are off limits. So please don't write about T'challa or Storm.

To summarize: share a write up about five or more real Black people whom you personally admire, include short bios and explain their impact and importance!

Bonus points: if you write about any musicians, painters, or other creatives consider sharing some of their public work via an imbedded link :)

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: be sure to include Black women in your write up! While this challenge is intended to celebrate Black history, it will be running during the month of March, which is Women's History Month in the USA. As such, there is a special requirement, make sure to include at least three Black woman in your write up!

How to win money:

To submit your entry, write up your reply to the challenge, post it under "Humans" and then link your post in the comments of this unofficial challenge announcement.

If you don't remember to link your entry in the comments below, I'll have no idea that you wrote a reply :(

Also, please link this challenge announcement somewhere near the bottom of your write up, to invite others to participate.

1 entry per person.

Recommended word count: around 2,000 words, but no hard limit.

If you do not have a stripe account you will not be eligible to win a tip.

Not every entry is guaranteed to win a tip. Tips are limited and will be awarded as follows:

I'm setting aside 30 dollars to award to entrants of this unofficial challenge! It'll be broken down like so:

(1) Ten dollar tip to the writing which moves me the most. If your write up makes me feel anything-- humor, sadness, anger, joy or anything else-- you'll stand a chance of winning this ten dollar tip! The quality of your writing will factor in of course, so do your best! But ultimately this is win is subjective, and good writing won't be enough-- some of it comes down to luck and what resonates with me personally in that particular moment. Best of luck!

(1) Ten dollar tip to the writing which introduces me to a historic Black public figure whom I was not aware of, but who's story or body of work moves me the most! Fair warning: I will only be considering public figures for this tip, so while you are welcome to write about heroes or artists you admire from your personal life, they will not factor into my decision regarding the awarding of this tip. Part of this comes down to luck of the draw-- will you name people I'm not already familiar with?

(5) Two dollar participation tips-- to show my appreciation for your time and effort in writing up a response to this challenge! I can't afford to award every entry as much as I'd like, and I know two dollars is not much at all. But I'd like to offer it as a gesture of my gratitude. The first five non winning entries submitted, in terms of raw chronological order, will be awarded a 2 dollar tip! I don't intend this as a consolation prize, it's literally just my way of saying thanks for taking the time to reply to the challenge!

*All tips are mutually exclusive. They don't stack. If you win one of the 10 dollar tips, you will be excluded from winning the other 10 dollar tip or receiving one of the chronological participation tips...

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At some point I intend to publish a write up of my own, but my submission will of course not be eligible for any tips-- I'll only be writing to participate in the spirit of this entry.

ALSO, just an FYI, while I really decided to write this challenge in order to see what I can learn myself, I realize community replies could be a great resource for teaching my children as well! I will be sharing some of what I learn here with my 3 kiddos.

YOU DO NOT need to monitor or restrict your language or writing content for child safety, please write however you feel comfortable and I will determine what to share or not share with my kids. BUT I do want to let you know that my children are of mixed Haitian descent-- so if you happen to include any information about Black Haitians who inspire you, there's a really good chance my kids will find that especially engaging :)

Happy writing and good luck!