What another amazing Black History Month Assembly! This year’s assembly was hosted by Padjiana Laurent, President of the Black Student Union, and Keara Dorvil from the African American and Haitian Heritage Club. The assembly had themes of social justice activism, community work, and institution building. It began with a focus of racial profiling, specifically the Oneonta Blacklist.
We heard from Mr. Allen, an activist, speaker, and NHS teacher, who attended SUNY Oneonta College during the time of the Oneonta Blacklist. He explained the repercussions of the Blacklist, such as black students immediately raising their hands when they saw police officers to prove that they had no cuts or injuries. Allen also spoke about Eleanor Mumpurs and Amadou Diallo, who were both subject to racial profiling and police brutality.
The assembly included student performances such as an original poem by a student, the Black National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and the Haitian National Anthem. Students also performed "Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder and a Haitian Kompa song “Got To Be Real.” The assembly ended with a hit performance from everyone's favorite, the Dance Team.
The dedication of February as a celebration of black history culture began almost a century ago. In 1915, Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). His goal for the ASNLH was to advocate for the scientific study of black history and culture. He also started the Journal of Negro History, in which he hoped the studies would be published. Dr. Woodson and the ASNLH began the first Negro History Week in February of 1926. It was the week that included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. The week was then expanded to include all of February by the ASNLH. However, in 1986, Congress passed Public Law 99-24, officially naming February as National Black History Month.
Black history, culture, and people continuously shape our country, and the importance of celebrating it transcends just one month. As said in the assembly, black history is American history. Black history is world history.