To celebrate Black History Month, November Project NYC wanted to highlight people, places, and events that have played important roles in shaping Black representation and history at each workout, many that resonated with members of our own community.
Every Wednesday and Friday in February, a co-leader or member shared the stories of historical and contemporary figures chosen at the beginning of the workout so that we could carry the lessons and legacies with us throughout the morning.
Our month was filled with accounts about the following important individuals:
- Ted Corbitt, American long-distance runner and co-founder of New York Road Runners.
- Alvin Ailey, American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
- Seneca Village, 19th-century settlement of mostly African American landowners in the borough of Manhattan, within what is now Central Park.
- Kara Walker, American contemporary painter, silhouettist, print-maker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor who explores race, gender, sexuality, violence, and identity in her work.
- Wilma Rudolph, American sprinter, world-record-holding Olympic champion and international sports icon in track and field.
- Sylvia Woods, American restaurateur and founder of the restaurant Sylvia’s in Harlem on Lenox Avenue.
- Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and writer. The first African-American female author to have a play performed on Broadway.
- Jerry Lawson, American electronic engineer. He helped invent the first video game console with interchangeable game cartridges.
We also encouraged our members to sign-up for “28 Days of Black History”, an email series providing information, history, and action steps throughout the month, co-curated by November Project alum, Shanaé Burch. It can still be viewed online here and we hope you’ll check it out.
Though February has come to a close, we know that learning about and honoring Black history—of the past and being made right now—goes beyond the emphasis of this month, and should be celebrated consistently.
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