5 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month on Social Media
As you plan your Black History Month content this year, here are five ways to show up on social media:
-
Creator and Business Spotlights
-
Pass the Mic
-
History Lessons and Noteworthy Facts
-
Quote Posts
-
Advocate for Change
#1: Creator and Business Spotlights
Spotlighting Black creators, entrepreneurs, and Black-owned brands in your industry can be a great way to introduce your audience to people and businesses they can support.
Create a carousel post series highlighting Black creators, their work, and why you find them inspirational.
Take a look at how Adobe spotlighted artist Vanessa Brantley Newton for their #WomenCreateWednesday social media series:
And Refinery29’s Unbothered shared creators and businesses to support throughout the month:
#2: Pass the Mic
The idea behind “passing the mic” is to use your platform to elevate and amplify Black stories — in their own words.
Think of it as letting them take center stage, while you support from the sidelines.
You can do this by hosting an Instagram Stories takeover where Black creators use your platform to speak about their personal experiences.
Or, you can take it a step further and hand over the reigns completely.
At , we passed the mic to Jam Gamble, Dante Nicholas, Brandon Smithwrick, and Jayde Powell to have a candid conversation via Instagram Live about supporting Black creators (and businesses) year-round:
Remember: you don’t need millions of followers to pass the mic!
Use this as an opportunity to educate your community — regardless of its size.
#3: History Lessons and Noteworthy Facts
History lessons are a great way to celebrate Black History Month on social media.
While most brands might spotlight Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks, we encourage you to be proactive, do your research, and go beyond the obvious choices.
If you’re an ice cream brand, for example, look into highlighting Alfred Craelle, who patented the ice cream scooper in 1897 after noticing the difficulties hotel waiters had serving ice cream.
Or, if you’re a small business, you could talk about Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first self-made female millionaire.
Likewise, a non-profit could share short clips about the Black pioneers who’ve inspired or advocated for their cause.
These history lessons can be done through feed posts, Instagram Reels, YouTube videos, TikTok carousels or even blog posts on your website.
DID YOU KNOW: offers discounts to non-profit organizations fighting against racism, and more. Get all the details and apply here!
#4: Quote Posts
Inspirational quote posts are often shared on social media because they can drive engagement for brands and creators alike.
And for Black History Month, there are so many inspirational Black voices and leaders to spotlight:
You can also leverage quote posts by using them as discussion prompts, like The Creative Collective NYC who generated hundreds of comments:
TIP: Create a carousel post full of thought-provoking quotes to educate your audience and encourage deeper conversations.
#5: Support the Community and Advocate for Change
Black History Month is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about local community initiatives and offer ongoing monetary support.
You can promote an exclusive product and donate a portion of the proceeds to a social cause, like Kotn:
Or, you can use the month to highlight an issue within your industry and share how you’re pushing for change.
For example, take department store Macy’s who joined the 15 Percent Pledge — an initiative advocating for major retailers to allocate 15% of their shelf space to BIPOC-owned businesses:
Black History Month is an opportunity to raise awareness and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
And with a solid social media strategy, you’ll be helping to create a more inclusive digital space this year — and beyond.
Ready to plan and schedule your social media posts and videos? makes it easy — get started (for free)!
