The beginning of Black History Month in February often brings a wave of social media posts and news stories about how prominent people, or companies, are marking the annual observance.
As part of Snopes' fact-checking, we examine such messages to determine if, or to what extent, they are rooted in fact, as well as whether they show signs of "virtual signaling" — that is, veiled attempts at self-promotion or marketing.
Below is a sampling of that work from our archives. The rumors range from a fake tweet by KFC with an image of fried chicken casting a shadow in the shape of a Black power fist to misguided claims about a 2017 proclamation by then-President Donald Trump.
