As we celebrate another Black History Month, we reflect on the milestones and accomplishments of Black Americans. From the ringing bells of Emancipation to the Civil Rights Movement, to the election of the first Black president, we continue to make history and move mountains despite the odds against us. For starters, 2020 was a tough year. Not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of the multiple lives we lost to police brutality, social injustice and racial inequality.
BUT, 2020 also brought many historic moments for the Black community as we pushed for change and greatness. This Black History Month, we want to reflect on 21 things that the Black community did to make history in 2020.
1. Kamala Harris became the first Black woman to become Vice President of the United States.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)
2. Beyoncé created “Black is King,” a film highlighting Black culture, tradition, and excellence through the journey of a young Black king.
5. Advancement Project National Office and the Alliance for Educational Justice’s school policing campaign successfully organized to eliminate policing in Black and Brown communities. So far, Black and Brown students got police out of schools in:
7. History was made on Monday, November 23, 2020, as an all-Black referee staff took the field during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Los Angeles Rams NFL game in Tampa, Florida.
(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by David Y. Lee via Advancement Project National Office)
9. Chef Mariya Russell became the first Black woman to earn a Michelin Star in the Michelin Guide’s 93-year history for her Japanese restaurant in Chicago called, Kikkō.
11. Advancement Project National Office successfully sued to extend the voter registration deadline for Virginians after their online voter registration system crashed on the day of the registration deadline. The extension allowed an additional 24,000 people to register as a result.
(Photo by David Y. Lee via Advancement Project National Office)
13. The Louisville, Kentucky Metro Council passed ‘Breonna’s Law,’ a law banning no-knock warrants after the tragic killing of Breonna Taylor. Advancement Project National Office, in collaboration with Black Lives Matter – Louisville, hosted #SayHerName: A Town Hall for Breonna Taylor with celebrity influencers urging council members to pass the bill.
15. The WNBA postponed games in response to the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the floor against the Orlando Magic in August in response to the shooting, forcing the NBA to postpone three playoff games the next day. The sight of empty basketball courts with “Black Lives Matter” lettering reverberated across the country.
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(Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for MoveOn)
19. Black News Channel (BNC) became the first Black-owned 24-hour News channel. The station launched on Feb. 10, 2020. The channel is now accessible on Direct TV, Comcast Xfinity, Roku TV, Spectrum, BNC 24/7, Amazon Fire TV, Pluto TV, Redbox free live TV, Xumo, TikiLIVE, and SelectTV.
Brittney Johnson is a senior journalism student at The University of North Texas minoring in African American Studies and Marketing. She joined Advancement Project National Office in 2021 as a communications intern.
