• Multi-Ethnic Professionals & Allies

  How will YOU Celebrate Black History Month?

  Posted by Stacey Givens on February 1, 2023 at 7:18 pm

  Hello everyone,

  It’s February 1 and the kick-off to Black History Month, well, in some states.

  I can’t give too much energy to the train that has picked up steam and runs from Florida to Texas, through Oklahoma and Missouri, and several other states, but I can reflect on the educational spaces available to me that created my foundational knowledge of Black history in this nation.

  My suburban high school was less than 2% Black and offered no Black studies curriculum. I advocated for it (as a 17-year-old student) and had to settle for night school just to get exposure to a Black studies course. I held a near 4.0 as a high school senior and drove to the city weekly with my United Colors of Benneton friends. The four of us represented China, Yugoslavia, and the US. We enrolled in night school just to get exposure to what was not available to us at our high school. This was the 90s and Black consciousness was rising. Spike Lee was releasing films left and right calling us to Do the Right Thing and showing us Malcolm X through the stellar performance of Denzel Washington. For me, studying Black history was worth my time and taxpayer dollars.

  Fast forward three decades and I remember that time with great clarity. I remember pushing my high school administrators to recognize the gaps in curriculum, because that set the foundation for who I am today. I didn’t think of it as social justice or equity work, but in hindsight I suppose that’s what it was.?

  How will I celebrate Black history month? By reminding myself and others of the sacrifice, resilience, and achievements of Black heroes and sheroes in American history.??

  Be well,

  ——————————
  Stacey Givens
  Director of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Diversity Officer
  ACUI
  Bloomington IN
  ——————————

  Stacey Givens replied 3 years, 7 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
• 0 Replies

Log In to Reply