If you have ever wanted to learn to code and as a result didn’t know where to start, I feel you! This project is perfect for you. Firstly, one of the main reasons we stop pursuing our goals or desires is because of analysis paralysis. We overthink, overanalyze, and second guess our plans to the point of inaction. For example, this website initially started to share the come-up stories of influencers. But over analyzing why it wasn’t a good idea won over taking action to just create a post every week. Even if no one ever read them aside from the author.

If 2020 taught us anything, it is that it’s now or never! You either try really hard and fail at a new venture or don’t try at all and regret it. Let’s normalize trying every idea that comes to mind. Let’s normalize failing until something works. And let’s normalize taking action in the direction of our dreams. Nothing good ever comes from standing still in fear.

The Beginning

Enter the project #BlackCode28 for Black History Month. It popped into my head about 3 weeks ago as a way to learn to code and celebrate Black History Month. Let me explain. For instance, I have been trying to practice coding for at least 1 hour every day. If I could continue this habit for 30 days, then I can continue for 60, 90, and so forth. Each day I just have to give 1%, which equates to 1 hour.

2020 and, unfortunately, 2021 has been really rough in the world. Sometimes we just don’t have 100% left to give after going about our daily lives.

The idea came to mind to do a small challenge to ensure that coding led to creating a project or portfolio and not just tutorial purgatory. That’s when the Black Code 28 project came to mind. I researched to check if that hashtag was already in use and then studied all about the Black Codes or Black Laws of 1865. One thing leads to another, and the challenge was created.

Taking Action, Now!

But analysis paralysis did show up. I wanted, “who would join the challenge of a newbie coder?”. And “what if people don’t want to change their negative mindset or journal about imposter syndrome?”.

Those thoughts were quickly eliminated with ACTION. And here we have it. The first 10 days of the challenge!

The Plan

Choose a Topic or Person in Black History that you would like to study more about for the next month.
Get a journal or notebook (you can go to Dollar Tree or use an old one with enough pages for the month of journaling)
Check Instagram on @team.magnificent or on this website for the daily prompts.
Be open to try new things 🙂

The Action

Download Visual Studio Code or Codepen.io, we will need an editor to practice coding.
Create a folder on your desktop to store all your coding materials.
email modestlymagnificent@gmail.com if you have questions.

The Result

A portfolio containing one finished project or lines of code for a minimal website that you built!
More knowledge in an area of black history that was unknown to you.

Here is the day 1 prompt:

Day 1:

Day one encourages you to do a little research to find a topic or person to study for the next 28 days. Here are a few options:

Mae Jemison
Lonnie G. Jackson
Black Wall Street
Mansa Musa
Marian Croak
Tulsa Race Massacre
Viven Thomas
Medical History and Black Americans
Serena Williams

Not sure where to get started to learn HTML & CSS? Try ONE of these sites below. Currently I am using resource number 2.

Hello World

Here is the code for a simple “Hello World” introduction site.

<!DOCTYPE html><html lang=”en”>

<title>Happy Black History Month</title>

</head>

<body>

<p>Hello World!</p>

</body>

</html>

See you tomorrow for day 2 of #Blackcode28 project for Black History Month!