5 Tips to Make Black History Month Come Alive

During Black History Month, lifestyle authority Antoinette Broussard is using her book, "African-American Holiday Traditions: Celebrating with Passion, Style, and Grace" to inspire families to share history through storytelling, increase service to the community and heed the wisdom of elders.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - January 29, 2002 - During Black History Month, lifestyle authority Antoinette Broussard is using her book, "African-American Holiday Traditions: Celebrating with Passion, Style, and Grace" to inspire families to share family stories, increase service to the community and heed the wisdom of elders.

"When we share our stories we find common ground, heal wounds and strengthen family ties," says Broussard. There's something cathartic about reaching deep into our very being and sharing our rich history and cultural experiences. Black History Month is one of the best opportunities to do this."

Antoinette Broussard's
"5 Tips To Make Black History Month Come Alive"

1.   Use Black History Month as a month of service to others. Particularly since September 11, many non-profit organizations have a great need for contributions not only of our money but of our time as well.

2.   Gather a group of family elders (in person or over the phone) before it's too late and tape or otherwise document their lives. "Really listen to their stories and recollections, knowing that truly every word is worth its weight in gold," says Broussard. "Hear yourself in their stories and be proud they are part of your mind, your body and your spirit." Broussard notes that copies of the tape or a synopsis of the contents make great Black History Month gifts.

3.   Host a Storytelling & Momentos Party. Rather than simply chitchat, have guests bring old photos, scrap books and other momentos around which they can tell stories about their lives and share stories of African and African-American history. Watch as one person's scrapbook and momentos triggers memories and prompts more sharing.

4.   During Black History Month many radio and television stations air special programs about African-American history. Gather family and friends to watch these shows and use their content to stimulate storytelling and discussion of current and historical issues and events.

5.   Join together with family and read aloud from books by and about African-Americans. Broussard points out that African-American culture is a culture deeply rooted in and intertwined with other cultures. When we learn about Native American, Latino, Asian and other cultures, we learn more about ourselves as well.

Published in hardcover by Citadel Press, "African-American Holiday Traditions" is a collection of family stories, recipes and traditions, many of which have been passed down from generation to generation, linking the past to the present. Non-famous as well as the famous people such as Mrs. Denzel (Pauletta) Washington and Vivica A. Fox contributed to the book by sharing their favorite family stories and rituals.

"Family history is precious," says Broussard. "Black History Month is an opportunity to value ourselves by learning more about history and our contributions to the building of a great nation." In the chapter, "The African Renaissance Comes Home," (pages 174-184) the author notes that Bishop Desmond Tutu strongly believes the United States could reach greater heights if Americans took time to tell one another their stories.

The year-round holiday book, which took two years to write, documents the importance of family and family traditions, all of which are rooted in love and culture. Broussard says she wrote the book to show how holiday traditions sustain us and bring families closer together. She says traditions help shape who we are, sustain and anchor us in good times and bad and create invaluable family chronicles and memories. Holidays in the book include the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Black History Month, Mardi Gras, Easter, Juneteenth and special occasions such as Cotillions, Beautillions and more.

Broussard shares the history of her paternal grandmother, Eugenia, who migrated from Texas to California in 1917 at the age of 19. She traveled on the segregated trains during the Jim Crow era with newborn baby, Ernest, Broussard's father. The author's maternal grandfather and his five siblings were born into slavery in Missouri. All were the children of a black female slave and an English plantation owner. Broussard's grandfather, Berry Benjamin Craig, lived to be 94 years old and, despite many hardships, was sustained by a full and happy family life. "It's a precious gift when we take the time to share our lives by telling our stories to one another - old and new stories of joy, pain and progress," says Broussard. "As generations before me have done, I leave to my children a tradition of family unity and a legacy of struggle and achievement."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ms. Broussard is founder of L' Ecole d' étiquette, a finishing program for children and young adults, which conducts workshops on social etiquette, self-esteem and college preparation. Protocol consulting clients have included McDonald's Corporation, United States Postal Service and many others. Ms. Broussard is a graduate of The Protocol School of Washington, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), and the San Francisco Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

She is a single parent of three grown children; Zahrah, a graduate of the American Film Institute and an independent filmmaker, Jule, a graduate of the University of California and an engineering student at Northeastern University, and Omar, a graduate of the University of Indianapolis and an ensign in the United States Navy. A second-generation Oakland, Californian, Ms. Broussard has lived in San Francisco for the past thirty years where she is also a practicing interior designer.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
Celebrating with Passion, Style, and Grace
Antoinette Broussard
Citadel Press, an imprint of Kensington Publishing/Hardcover/Non-Fiction/244 pages
$22.50 ($33.50 Canada)/1-55972-532-X

Author photo available upon request.

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