Why do we celebrate Black History Month?
Dear Families,
This week we were treated to a truly exceptional Black History Month Assembly. What originally started as a 5-10 minute video projected coordinated by Middle School math teacher Margaret Andrews, became, thanks to the dedicated and committed work of a group of third through fifth grade students (and Margaret), an hour-long celebration of Black History in words, images, music, dance and song. I’ll step aside and let some of their words take center stage.
Welcome to this Black History Month Celebration!
Some people have asked us, “Why do we celebrate Black History Month?” And here is what we have to say… It is because Black History Month is a very special time of year. Granted, we do not become less black on March 1st. And we take pride in our heritage all year long. But by setting aside this month, we set our heritage apart. We take it from the pages of history books and bring it to life. We take the time to remember, to reunite, and to rededicate ourselves to our history. And what a glorious history it is!
When we consider Black history, we think of it as a narrative of people crossing color lines….and fulfilling dreams. African-Americans, Black Americans have long struggled to understand their place in society. With each passing decade, we have pushed the color line forward, widened the circle, and moved closer to America’s promise of equality.
During Black History Month, we honor the memory of African-Americans like Dr. Martin Luther King, as we also celebrate current history makers like Dr. Condoleezza Rice. We remember the greatness of Jackie Robinson breaking down color barriers in sports and then cheer as Usain Bolt sets another record. These and so many other heroes pushed color lines and then broke through them, forever altering America’s history.
Today, we want to share our celebration with you. Please sit back, relax and enjoy!
Since we have said goodbye to 2009, one thing is clear: The first ten years of the 21st century have been as tumultuous and noteworthy as any in American history. The decade began with a Presidential election in which the man with the most votes lost and the horror of 9/11, when nearly 3000 people died in the worst terrorist attack ever on American soil. The decade ended with the first African-American in the Oval Office, the first Latina on the Supreme Court and the nation in the grips of a Great Recession even as Congress nears a final vote on historic health care reform. And while the goal of “Peace on Earth,” remains as elusive as ever, we are ending a major war in Iraq, setting the stage for the return of our troops from Afghanistan and celebrating Barack Obama’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. During the past decade we’ve experienced an almost equal mix of tragedy and triumph. But as the National Urban League prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2010, we share the belief of millions that America’s best days are yet to come.
If September 11, 2001 will be remembered as the day of terror in America, August 29, 2005 will forever be known as the day of Katrina. More than 1800 people in the Gulf Coast and New Orleans lost their lives in the storm, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and property damage exceeded more than $100 billion. But while the levees failed, the spirit of New Orleans remains unbroken. The city is rebuilding and a few weeks ago, you saw the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl.
The past decade also included a number of breakthrough achievements by African Americans and women. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 tops the list, but there have been other notable “firsts.” In the business world, Dick Parsons, Ken Chenault and Stan O’Neal became the first African American Chairmen and CEOs of Time Warner, American Express and Merrill Lynch respectively. And in May of 2009, Ursula Burns became the first African American woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company when she took over the reins at Xerox.
In politics, Colin Powell was appointed the first African-American Secretary of State in 2001. Deval Patrick became only the second elected African-American governor when he took office as Massachusetts’ chief executive in 2006. David Paterson was sworn-in as New York’s first African-American governor in 2008. Nancy Pelosi made history as the first woman Speaker of the House in 2007. And in 2009, Eric Holder became the nation’s first African-American Attorney General and Judge Sonia Sotomayor became the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice of Puerto Rican decent.
During the past decade words like Facebook, YouTube and iPod became a part of our everyday lexicon. But one simple word – Hope – has defined the American spirit since our beginning, 234 years ago. As we celebrate Black History month this year, it is our fervent hope that we will find the courage to build on our successes, meet our many challenges and create an even better tomorrow.
Click here to view a video prepared by students for the assembly and here for a vocal number that was shared during the assembly.
Congratulations to all of the students for their work and a well-deserved thanks to Margaret for leading them through this experience, which was valuable for them, but immeasurably valuable for those of us who received the gift of their efforts.
Be well,
Mark