Each year 老司机传媒 proudly participates in celebrating Black History Month, a commemorative reminder of our nation’s history and the journey the Black community has embarked on. This month pressures us to reflect on our past as well as consider the present brutalities that Black society, and other minority groups, continue to endure. I asked a few AU students what Black History Month personally means to them and how they observe or celebrate this month.
Angelina Malcolm (senior, international business and Spanish)
Black History Month means to acknowledge that we exist and that our history is a part of American history even when the history books try to erase us. It means acknowledging that we had a hand in creating the country we have today with our innovations, inventions, and ideas. For me, however, Black History isn’t something I celebrate in the shortest month of the year but every day. Just being able to have an education and the opportunities that weren’t given to people that look like me is celebrating my history. Other ways in which I celebrate are by supporting Black-owned businesses, educating myself on my history from going to museums to reading from Black voices, and continuously encouraging others to stay in the fight for justice and equality.
Morgan Williams (sophomore, social work)
Black History Month is a celebration of triumph, where we acknowledge the difficult past but rejoice in the future and what that brings for newer generations. We embrace Blackness in all its forms and try to educate others, because now more than ever before, we have a bigger platform.
Jewel Murray (junior, pre-physical therapy)
Black History Month is special to me because it gives me and the rest of the nation an opportunity to celebrate Blackness in all forms. I love the food, music, culture, fashion, language, and people groups that get to be celebrated. I love participating in the BSCF events and Impact services all month. Each year during Black History Month I challenge myself to learn all about someone new or not as widely known who made an amazing impact on my community.
Sheala Worsham (junior, architecture)
For me, Black History Month highlights the Black race and reminds us that we should not be ashamed of it. However, I don't place my identity in my race. We should always remember that it's not our race that makes us special. It's having Jesus as our identity, that we were given a second chance to be his children through his ultimate sacrifice that makes it all worthwhile.
Shania Watts (senior, viola performance)
As a Black individual in America, I’ve always struggled with national identity and a sense of belonging. Many people don’t know what it’s like to feel uncomfortable everywhere you go, but that is a feeling many Black people experience. Black History Month is a time when I really feel a real sense of belonging and pride in who I am. It’s amazing to have this special time to reflect on our history as a whole and to come together through our shared struggles and experiences.
Camberley Berkel (senior, speech-language pathology & audiology)
Black History Month is something that has gained a rather new importance in my life. At home in the Caribbean, specifically my island, we did not celebrate it as much as here in the US. But through speaking to others and learning about various heroes and pioneers in Black History, it has become important to me to acknowledge and recognize those who have come before us. They have paved the way for Black people to have the life we have today. It’s also a reminder to me that we are stronger than we think we are and we can aspire to do great things, create big things and be world changers.
Adoniah Simon (senior, social work)
There is so much ugliness that has shaped the lives of people of color and their predecessors. This month, we take a look at the struggles and triumphs of Black people in the midst of cruelty and gross injustice. We are a ways off from the wholeness that will come with the return of Jesus. But in the meanwhile, I choose to see my life as a celebration of Black history. In the words of Russel Ledet, we are our ancestors’ wildest dreams. We have persisted despite the difficulty. I celebrate Black history with my every experience of joy, as I practice hope and as I express gratitude. These are the things that can sustain us in our fight towards a better future for Black lives locally and globally.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 老司机传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 老司机传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.