Forget Trump. Let’s make this the Blackest Black History Month ever.

The fact that President Donald Trump has declared an all-out war against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) tells us all we need to know about where he stands when it comes to race.

In the face of so much anti-Blackness, we should double down and make this year’s Black History Month commemoration extra Black.

As in flying-a-red-black-and-green-Pan-African-flag-from-your-front-porch Black.

Finally-memorizing-the-lyrics-to-the-Black-national-anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” Black, or contributing-to-the-HBCU-of-your-choice Black.

Knowing who-is-invited-to-the-cookout Black and who is not. (Nelly and Snoop Dogg, who performed during Trump’s inauguration festivities, can’t come.)

In other words, let’s make this Black History Month blackity-Black.

» READ MORE: Where to celebrate Black History Month in Philly

I’m only half-joking, but hopefully, you understand my point. Because of Trump’s return to the White House, the vibe is different this year. Newly installed U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has canceled the annual observance of Black History Month for the entire military.

Even though — like other presidents before him — Trump signed a proclamation last week recognizing Black History Month, he has made his conservative agenda clear. While on the campaign trail, Trump gave an interview to Fox News in which he threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that teach the full history of slavery in America. It remains to be seen if he actually follows through.

Meanwhile, parents shouldn’t rely on schools to teach children what they need to know about that shameful period in American history and its continued impact today. They need to select movies for their offspring to view about the Black experience such as Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight, which tells the story of an all-Black female battalion deployed to Europe during World War II. The 2022 film Till about the lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 — an incident that helped spark the civil rights movement — is another option.

Black History Month also is a good time for us to unite and flex our considerable collective spending power by refusing to patronize discount retailers such as Target and Walmart. Both recently plan to roll back their DEI efforts.

Look, I get it. I like Target, too. Not going there will be a hard habit to break. But if you can’t do it long term, then at least abstain for the entire month of February.

» READ MORE: I’m going to miss shopping at Target | Jenice Armstrong

Together, we can send a message to corporate America about the considerable power of the Black dollar and the importance of not taking it for granted.

Meanwhile, consider getting a membership at Costco, which earlier this year pushed back against efforts to force the wholesale club to drop DEI. And instead of buying books by Black authors from Amazon, get them from independent, Black-owned booksellers such as Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books in Germantown or Harriet’s Bookshop in Fishtown.

Some social media users are fleeing Meta because it terminated its DEI program and ended third-party fact-checking. Those of us who are still hanging on can make a statement by flooding our social media timelines with African American history, facts, and information.

We also can support Black-owned businesses and local historic sites such as the National Marian Anderson Museum. Based in the late contralto’s former home in South Philadelphia, the historic site sustained considerable flood damage in 2020, but is scheduled to reopen later this month.

The Paul Robeson House and Museum in West Philly and the onetime home of famed artist Henry Ossawa Tanner in North Philly also need our assistance as well as our attention.

And if you haven’t already, take your family to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Opened in 2016, it’s the only national museum dedicated to Black life in America. Tickets are free but have to be obtained in advance.

Trump has made it clear his administration is anti-DEI, which promotes fair treatment and equal opportunities not only for racial minorities but also for veterans, members of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and women.

That’s why we need to go in hard this Black History Month as we celebrate the contributions of African Americans and also express our support for DEI, which helps a whole lot of other people besides just us.

After all, Black history is American history.