Yesterday marked the first official day of Black History Month! This celebration, which began thanks to Carter G. Woodson’s Negro History Week in 1926, has been celebrated as a month-long event since 1976 (making this the 45th year)!
Through the years this celebration has taken on a number of themes, including: The Crisis in Black Education, African Americans in Times of War, Black Migrations, African Americans and the Vote, and The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity (2021 theme). On the TAMUCC campus, however, our overarching focus has been #365ONTHEISLAND.
It has long been the belief of many on campus that this celebration, the acknowledgments, and the discussions should not end the moment the month of February ends; rather, this is a conversation that should take place 365 days out of the year. It should also be expanded with conversations about racial equality, struggles, and pride across the board to all people of color and marginalized groups.
So, now the question – how can you get involved?
Lucky for you, your first step is taking place this very month – AND you have options (so many amazing options)!
To begin, I encourage you to visit the Black History Month page. Here you’ll find the list of events taking place on campus. From discussions on “Mental Health, Social Justice Reform & the Impacts to Black & Hispanic Communities” to “Unschooled Civil Rights Leaders You Don’t Learn About in School”, there’s something for just about every interest.
Have you ever been to a drum circle? No? Well, this Thursday, February 4th, there will be a large drum circle taking place at 2 pm on the East Lawn.
How does enjoying food inspired by celebrated Black chefs sound? Islander Dining will be featuring inspired menus throughout the month!
Not sure about physically attending something? No worries, we absolutely get it. Many of the events will be hosted virtually for safety (some may require registering, so double check today).
The library has also created a Black History Month guide where you’ll find more ways to learn and grow. On the page you’ll find information on the theme, books from the collection (so many books), online resources, and a bit of information and fun from the web (including a link to local Black-owned businesses).
I would also like to draw attention to our Racial Justice Resources: Black Lives Matter guide. This guide, a growing collection of racial justice and anti-racism resources, serves to educate and support the efforts to end all forms of racism, including systemic racism. Our hope is for this guide to continue to grow, change, and shift as new resources or ideas become available or are discussed.
Finally, a reminder that once again, the library is hosting our Facebook Trivia challenge. We’ll be posting a trivia question every day in February. The first person to answer correctly will be entered into a weekly drawing to win a prize (we’ll be giving away four prizes in total)! A huge shout out to the Office of the Associate Dean of Students and University Services for their prize donations!
With so many options to take that first step, the question now is: what are you waiting for?
