The Gatepost Editorial: Black history is now.

By The Gatepost Editorial Board

This February marks 100 years of celebrating Black History Month. 

The Gatepost Editorial Board is elated to present this special edition of The Gatepost in honor of this monumental Black History Month. 

As we continue to learn about and share Black history during February and look ahead to the next 100 years, it is crucial to understand why this celebration began. 

Black History Month began as Negro History Week in 1926, when one of the first Black Harvard graduates, Carter G. Woodson, partnered with teachers, churches, and community members to begin sharing stories, culture, and experiences to combat the unceasing exclusion of Black people from American history, according to blackhistory100.org.

Woodson was inspired by the observation of Fredrick Douglass Day on Feb. 14 - a day schools were encouraged to study Douglass’s life. Negro History Week took shape under the same idea: schools and communities could participate in this “national week of study” to encourage people to engage with accurate and expansive education on Black history, with the ultimate goal of that education being passed down from generation to generation. 

Fifty years later, in 1976, former President Gerald Ford officially recognized the expansion of Negro History Week to Black History Month. 

Ford called upon Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history," according to history.com.

While Black History Month represents a designated time for Black history to take center stage in schools, community events, and national conversations, it is important to consider that many people do not receive much, if any, education about Black history outside of the month of February. 

This month is an opportunity for celebration and remembrance, but we have a responsibility to continue to carry the objectives of Black History Month into the rest of the year. 

At its core, Black History Month is a recognition and celebration of Black culture, stories, triumphs, and suffering, all of which are crucial elements of American history. 

The roadmap of Black history is not linear - it is one of diverging routes that reflect hardships. Yet, this map has also led to joy, community, liberation, activism, and invention.  

Over the past 300 years, America has witnessed the bravery and dedication of abolitionists and civil rights activists fighting for equal access in this country. 

The evolution of music - from Rock ’n Roll, blues, jazz, R&B, and Hip-Hop - has changed the culture of the world. 

Inventions as simple as the potato chip to something as technologically important as the three-light traffic signal can be attributed to the work of Black inventors. 

Scientific and medical studies have become more inclusive, allowing for breakthroughs in knowledge about the experience of Black people who have historically been excluded from research and even proper care.

Black people have continued to shape the world as we know it - for good. Recently, the Civil Rights Movement has been reignited in the form of global activism.

This activism has continued to flourish in the form of the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other victims who lost their lives to racially motivated attacks. 

Black history is far more than this short list of triumphs and tragedies. It is also about the future work we continue to do in light of those who paved the way for America and the world. 

Our campus community has an opportunity to practice this idea and dive deeper into cultural curiosity through our coursework, our involvement, and our experiences. 

The Center for Inclusive Excellence staff, including Jerome Burke, Emma Laurie, and their diversity peer influencers, undertake incredible work throughout the year to host events and diversity dialogues to get students involved in asking questions, hearing about different cultural experiences, discussing how the state of the country mirrors that of the past and how we can navigate the current moment to become more ethical and inclusive citizens.

Students continue to get involved in affinity groups such as the Black Student Union, Brother 2 Brother, and the Afro-Caribbean Dance Team, which are led by students Laila Jenkins, Raul Perez Santana, and Esther Casseus, respectively. They continue to undertake the necessary work of creating safe, comfortable spaces for Black students and anti-racist allies to gather and support each other through programming and fundraising events. The groups’ overall missions are to promote a sense of togetherness. 

Every interaction, no matter how small, presents an opportunity for students to practice openness, love, and understanding toward those who have a story or perspective to share that differs from their own. 

Open and thoughtful dialogue is the first step toward dismantling biases, stereotypes, and prejudices that currently fuel division and hate toward Black people worldwide.

We are all pioneers of the next 100 years of Black history. 

Carry the lessons and experiences of this month in your heart throughout the rest of the year, and recognize that we have continued opportunities to grow and learn. 

Black history is then, now, and forever.