With Black History Month winding down, it’s time to take a look back at February. From the funny to the historic, this February is one for the books. We slay every other month of the year too, but there’s something special about February that feels like our time. The rest of the year is spent learning white history, stuck in a book that never allows us to be protagonists. However, it’s time to listen up. Here are the highlights of this February.
1. Beyonce Announced Her Pregnancy
Bestowing us with arguably the biggest pop culture news of the year, Beyonce released stunning maternity photos, announcing her second pregnancy. This time, she’s having twins. Last year, her album “Lemonade” showcased the beauty in motherhood and how integral it is to the black experience. This year, she demonstrates.
2. “Hidden Figures” Surpasses “La La Land” In Box Office Revenue
A movie that champions black ingenuity beats a movie that says black people destroy jazz music? That’s a cause for celebration. With this, “Hidden Figures” became the highest grossing Oscar nominee. After years of being told that black female protagonists don’t sell movie tickets, “Hidden Figures” sets a new precedent, and hopefully, changes the industry for good.
3. The Grammy’s Happened
Independent rapper (who needs no introduction), Chance the Rapper, wins his first two Grammys for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance (“No Problem”) ,Best Rap Album. His passionately honest speech and incredible talent prove that he deserves every award he receives.
Beyonce arrives in her full, pregnant glory and performs a medley of “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles” from “Lemonade.” Her amazing holographic imagery combined with the voiceovers from the visual album undoubtedly dominated the award show. Beyonce continues to praise black women in a way that has never been seen before.
Speaking of amazing black women, her sister, Solange, won her first Grammy for Best R&B Performance with “Cranes In The Sky.”
4. Rihanna Receives “Humanitarian of the Year” Award From Harvard
After kinda being snubbed at the Grammy’s, everyone’s favorite bad girl gets an amazing consolation prize. Just two days after Rihanna’s 29th birthday, Harvard announced her as the recipient of their 33rd Humanitarian of the Year award. Previous winners include Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala Yousafzai.
Rihanna was awarded for her numerous efforts in the Caribbean including founding “…the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program for students attending college in the U.S. from Caribbean countries.” She also “…supports the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen Project, which provides children with access to education in over 60 developing countries,” according to S. Allen Counter, the director of the Harvard Foundation.
Black people are doing way too many cool things to list them all here. In the past few days alone Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” earned a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and Issa Rae was honored by the Los Angeles City Council for Black Women’s Day. The Oscar’s haven’t even happened yet and with Viola Davis on track to set a new record, there’s no telling how special this month can really be. There’s no wrong time to be unapologetically black, but it feels so right this February, doesn’t it?