In Celebration of Black Love Day – February 13, 2024
“Black love is black wealth.”
– Nikki Giovanni
You’d literally have to live in a box to not realize that this Wednesday, February 14, is Valentine’s Day. Not only does every store in the nation have endless supplies of heart-shaped candy boxes and greeting cards lined up the aisles, but it’s been drilled into us our entire lives. BUT…. Did you know that there’s a day of love coming even sooner than that? Yup, that’s correct! February 13th is National Black Love Day, and whether you’ve known it or not, this year marks 31 years since the holiday was first celebrated.
I’m sure you all know by now that I really like history. So, I had to do some research on how it is Black Love Day came to be and what’s it really about?! Black Love Day was first celebrated in 1993 after the founder of the AAHA (African American Holiday Association) was inspired to help connect black community members to one another in a show of love. Ayo Handy-Kendi watched a movie about a black man being murdered by his own people, by other blacks. Black violence against one another still rages on, and one of the most powerful messages we can send the world to demand that they love us, is to love each other. So, she founded Black Love Day as call-to-action to blacks in America to preserve the legacy, preserve the rich culture, end the violence, and demand that racism is put to a stop.
There are five tenants of Black Love Day: Love the Creator, Love the Self, Love the Family, Love the Community, and Love the Race. Black Love Day is important because it promotes love and peace within our communities; it spreads love far and wide by making shows of love through action on this special day. It helps stop racism. Black Love Day isn’t just for Black Americans. It’s a day for all people of all races to come together to put an end to the systematic racism that blacks have long endured. Standing together, we can stop exclusion and encourage love, tolerance, and inclusivity. It is a day to end violence. Violence perpetuates racism and discrimination. Violence against each other even more so. Mama Ayo knows this all too well, she lost her son to act of violence. Today we are one and we stand in solidarity with one another.
If you’re wondering how you can celebrate Black Love Day, I gathered a bit of advice from the AAHA.
Greet others with the phrase Nya Akoma, which means “to get a heart” or “be patient.”
Offer yourself and others forgiveness and atonement. For 24 hours, be kind.
Use the hashtag #blackloveday to get others in your community on board with the celebration as well.
Show love through actions. Demonstrate your love for others by doing small acts of selflessness.
Pledge to end racism. Stand in solidarity. Practice tolerance and inclusivity. Today is a day for whites to examine their privilege and racial attitudes and for us to heal together and mend our relationships with one another. “If you’re not a Black person, it is recommended to show love in action toward Black people, by working on your own racial attitudes and behaviors,” the AAHA states on its website.
And, like Black History Month, National Black Love Day also has a theme! This year’s theme is Breathing Solutions to Increase Love in Black Families. Stay tuned for more on that theme in another article coming soon!
I wanted to get all this information up and running today so you can share this post with your friends and family and get everyone you can excited and on board to celebrate Black Love Day tomorrow! Let’s flood social media with those hashtags and reach out for one another on a day that means more than Valentines Day ever good. Until next time….
All this information and much more can be found on the AAHA website at africanamericanholidays.org
You can also RSVP for the 31st Black Love Day Relationship Ceremony livestreamed on Facebook from 6 to 9 pm EST tomorrow evening here.
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
– Maya Angelou
References
African American Holiday Association. (2024). 31st Black Love Day Relationship Ceremony. Black Love Day 31 – AFRICAN AMERICAN HOLIDAY ASSOCIATION (AAHA) (africanamericanholidays.org)
National Today. (2024). Black Love Day. BLACK LOVE DAY – February 13, 2024 – National Today
About the Author:
Tia is an investigative journalist here at BLACK. She holds degrees in Political Science and Applied Economics from SNHU and she is a first-year law student at Purdue Global Law School, pursuing her J.D. She also has a certification in Human Rights from Wassmuth Center for Human Rights in Boise Idaho and she recently interned for the Office of Budget and Entitlement Policy at Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. Tia is a RESULTS 2024 Organizing and Advocacy Fellow and Outreach and Partnerships Coordinator. She lives with her husband and three children in Hurricane, West Virginia.
In her free time, she enjoys contemporary art, fashion, home décor, reading, and family. Tia is passionate about protecting American consumers and corporations and is a strong proponent for open markets, human rights, and equality for all. Her current focus is slavery reparations, entitlement program solvency, and budget appropriations process reform. While Tia is not black, she supports the fight for equality and stands with BLM. She believes that unearned privilege creates a duty to act against racial inequality and injustices.
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