The lion’s story will never be known as long as the hunter is the one to tell it.

Inspired by Dr. Howard Stevenson—co-founder of Lion’s Story, an organization dedicated to improving racial literacy—(see below), our marketing team set off on a simple mission this Black History Month: take time to absorb and intentionally reflect on Black stories and Black voices.

Here’s who we’ve been learning from:

Howard C. Stevenson: How to resolve racially stressful situations

“If we hope to heal the racial tensions that threaten to tear the fabric of society apart, we’re going to need the skills to openly express ourselves in racially stressful situations.”

Black History for White People (Podcast)

Our goal is simple — educate white people on black history. #BHforWP is a multiethnic collective dedicated to loving black and brown people by educating, resourcing, and challenging white people to actively participate in racial justice. The highest calling of humanity is to love. Whether you know it or not, the racial disparities in our country hurt us. They train us to protect our advantages rather than love others, and that mentality reduces us.

Justin Simien’s Dear White People (Netflix Series)

Bonus points for the tagline: Bet you think this show’s about you.

Dear White People is an American comedy-drama television series on Netflix that follows several black college students at an Ivy League institution, touching on issues surrounding modern American race relations.

Kenya Barris’s #blackAF (Netflix Series)

The official synopsis reads: “#blackAF uncovers the messy, unfiltered, and often hilarious world of what it means to be a ‘new money’ black family trying to ‘get it right’ in a modern world where ‘right’ is no longer a fixed concept.”

Thomas J. Sugrue: 2020 is not 1968 (National Geographic)

To understand today’s protests, you must look further back.

Gaverne Bennett: Black History: A timeline of two millennia of world-shaping individuals and momentous events that define Black history (Article)

For all of us to understand where we are, and how we got here, it’s clear we need to understand our history. And that must include the contribution of Africans and their descendants to the story of the entire world. These timelines celebrate some of those stories: of world-shaping individuals and momentous events.

This is not about creating a separate history; it is about adding to the history we are already familiar with. A story which shows that, from the Romans onwards, Africa’s story has been intertwined with Europe’s, America’s and others around the world. It’s a story well worth knowing.

Jamelle Bouie and Rebecca Onion: The History of American Slavery (Podcast)

With the help of acclaimed historians and writers, Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore the history of American slavery and examine how the institution came to shape our country’s politics, economy, and culture.

Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby: Code Switch (Podcast)

What’s CODE SWITCH? It’s the fearless conversations about race that you’ve been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. This podcast makes ALL OF US part of the conversation — because we’re all part of the story.

“We’re talking to people who have been marginalized and underrepresented for so long, who are so hungry to see themselves represented fully and with nuance and complexity,” says Shereen Marisol Meraji, co-host of Code Switch, Apple Podcasts’ first-ever Show of the Year for 2020. “People recognize that, because we had been having these conversations for so many years in advance, we’re a trusted place where they could go to better understand all the stories about race filling up their newsfeeds and social channels.”

Where to start:
Ep: Black Kiss-tory
Ep: From Generation to Generation
Ep: The White Elephants in the Room
Ep: Who’s ‘Black Enough’ For Reparations?
Ep: Stepping Out Of The Shadow Of ‘Killer King’