Every year, Black History Month stands as a time for us to not only reflect on our collective history and remember those who laid everything on the line for our freedoms, but to reignite our dedication to dismantling systemic barriers that prevent our nation from truly having “justice for all.” 
This past year has fully thrown back the curtain on systemic racism in this country and laid bare the systemic oppression that we still must address. For 80 years, LDF has been fighting discrimination at the ballot box, injustices in the workplace, systemic racism in schools, and oppression in our criminal justice system. 
As a community, we know that the inequities our grandparents and great-grandparents battled have been passed down to us. We’re still fighting for equal access to the ballot box. We’re still organizing in the streets for justice and being met with violence. But, we’ve also inherited a legacy filled with tenacity, fortitude, and the will to make equality for all a reality. Our heroes may be different, but they are there nonetheless. 
This month is about recognizing and giving proper space for the struggle and the accomplishments of the African Diaspora. From the hard-won legal battles, to the civil disobedience that helped pass new legislation, to the art, music, and literature that expressed our pain, our anger, our hopes, and our joy through color, sound, and prose. This month is about our people, and it’s about our journey.

I don’t know of anything in the history of Black people in this country in which I’ve read some account in which it ended with, 'and then they gave up.' That’s just not what we do. I know we work for the future of our children and our grandchildren and their children.

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Explore the Black History Month Web Journey

Walk through a brief history of civil rights and modern-day protests. 

Learn about the history of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the landscape of voting rights today, and learn about some of the major players in advancing voting rights. 

Support the work of Black creatives by engaging with our lists featuring black artists from film, television, literature, and music. 

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