Google jumped on Black History recognition this year with a search trend when analyzing the “most searched” speech in America. Please keep reading to get all the deets, but for now, I must say I can’t get enough of Google’s moving Black History Month commercial.
That Google search catapulted a deep dive into fifteen years’ worth of data to see what other “most searched” items rose to the top. What resulted was an inspiring list honoring African American history makers.
The back story, Google brand marketing, and creative strategist Shea Jackson McCann had a hunch about the most searched speech in America. The 1963 address, Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Had A Dream.
That result inspired McCann to investigate other African American searches. The search spanned from January 1, 2004, when U.S. Google Search data became available, to July 1, 2019.
In honor of Black History Month, Google launched “The Most Searched: A Celebration of Black History Makers,” the iconic ad debuted during the Grammy Awards show on January 26, 2020.
◊ Abolitionist: Frederick Douglass
♦ Athlete: LeBron James
◊ Autobiography: Malcolm X
♦ Ballerina: Misty Copeland
◊ Boycott: Montgomery bus boycott, sparked by Rosa Parks
♦ Drag Queen: RuPaul
◊ Dunk: Michael Jordan’s dunk from the foul line at the 1988 All-Star Weekend
♦ EGOT Winner: John Legend (EGOT – Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award recipient)
◊ Female poet: Maya Angelou
♦ Guitar Solo: Prince
◊ Gymnast: Simone Biles
♦ Homecoming: Howard University
◊ Interception: Malcolm Butler, who intercepted Russell Wilson to end Super Bowl XLIX
♦ Jazz musician: Louis Armstrong
◊ March: March on Washington, August 28, 1963
♦ Movement: Civil rights movement, 1955 – 1968
◊ NASA mathematician: Katherine Johnson, subject of the film Hidden Figures
♦ Performance: Beyoncé at 2018 Coachella
◊ Pulitzer winner: Kendrick Lamar
♦ Remix: Lil’ Nas X’s “Old Town Road” is the most searched remix and country-rap song in the U.S.
◊ Sit-in: Greensboro Woolworth’s sit-in of 1960
♦ Speech: Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have A Dream Speech
◊ Star-Spangled Banner performance: Whitney Houston’s at Super Bowl XXV
♦ Talk show host: Oprah Winfrey
◊ Tap dancer: Gregory Hines
♦ Tennis player: Serena Williams
◊ WWII airmen: The Tuskegee Airmen
How cool! I can’t get enough of the moving Google Black History Month commercial, which reminds me of the considerable influence not always remembered or recognized.
I realize a commercial of less than two minutes doesn’t capture all the significant contributions of African Americans. However, the efforts are worth noting. Did you see Google’s Black History Month before visiting my blog post?
If yes, you can comment on the Facebook post or here with Disqus.
As always, thank you for reading. Have a fabulous week.
