Black History is #WhatsHappening

Black History Month is an annual celebration which highlights the achievements of Black communities in America. At Twitter, @Blackbirds, our Business Resource Group (BRG) for members and allies of the African diaspora at Twitter, led the way in planning events along with other BRGs, Teams and Twitter offices. This year's theme was #GlowUp, and Tweeps participated in over 30 #BlackHistoryMonth events, ranging from professional development workshops to self-care meet-ups and fireside chats with industry and community figures.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights:

Community Engagement   

• The Public Policy team hosted Civil Rights legend, @RepJohnLewis, for a discussion on Black activism @TwitterDC. Watch the Periscope here.  
• @Blackbirds partnered with @domduro to bring a portrait series celebrating Blackness to the #WallForACause. Check out the exhibit here.    
• @giphy and @Blackbirds teamed up for a #BHMGIFParty to engage the platform in celebrating the start of #BlackHistoryMonth.
• @ChefJJ came to @TwitterNYC to promote his book, Between Harlem and Heaven, as well as his African-inspired recipes, with the event #AskChefJJ.
• Twitter worked with with Disney to host a live Q&A with the cast of Black Panther and screening of the film, which is the most Tweeted about movie of all time.
• Twitter hosted over 100 professionals from the community for a night of thought provoking poetry night @TwitterSF

Recruiting #BeTheChange   

• As part of their #BeTheChange series, @TwitterU hosted change makers @deray and @LeonFordSpeaks to meet with local students @TwitterNYC and @TwitterDC.

Service

• To kickoff #BlackHistoryMonth, @Blackbirds organized a food service activity with @GLIDEChurch in San Francisco.  
• @TwitterChicago office hosted a tech immersion event with @BlackGirlsCode.
• @TwitterDetroit partnered with @Blackbirds to host @UPrepSchools students for a screening of Black Panther.  
• In NYC, @Blackbirds engaged with their local community by serving breakfast at @NYCommonPantry.

Twitter believes in the unmatched power of the individual’s voice. The platform allows users to share stories, learn more about the world, and connect with others across time and space. As a company, we are committed to #GrowTogether through diversity and we will use the momentum gained from #BlackHistoryMonth to continue to guide us forward.

Although we celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth, we recognize that Black history is being made every month of the year. If you want to know #WhatsHappening, make sure to follow @Blackbirds!