Black History Month – Beyond February

By Ric Harris,

President & General Manager

NBC10, Telemundo62, COZI TV, TeleXitos and NBCLX Philadelphia

Board President, Philly Ad Club

As Black History Month comes to a close, it’s important to remember that the contributions made by African-Americans are not limited to the month of February.  The depth, breath, and impact of Black History is rich enough to be celebrated all year, every year. 

As it relates to advertising, Black History Month offers an opportunity to highlight key contributions of African-Americans. It’s a time to celebrate our remarkable creativity, strategy and engagement.  Awareness of the many roles that African-Americans have played throughout the advertising process can be found in a number of articles and blogs like these.  There is also a wealth of information about the roles played in commercial messaging through the years and across all platforms.

What is clear is that the role of African-Americans in advertising has evolved exponentially.  African-American representation and buying power have increased to unprecedented levels.  Most importantly, diversity, equity and inclusion has proven to be very good for business.

I encourage you all to click the links above and explore the significance of Black History Month.  For, positive change starts with awareness.