By Coco Chen ‘24
In February, students and faculty and staff at St. Mark’s launched numerous activities and programs to commemorate Black History Month. Apprising the school of African American history, culture, identity, and contributions to history, Instagram posts and e-mails and school announcements provided ample opportunities for anyone who wishes to gain a better understanding.
Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the U.S., dedicated to promoting achievements by African Americans and other people of African descent. It is the brainchild of the pioneering African American activist Carter G. Woodson, who instituted the former Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (Scott). In 1926, ASNLH decided to sponsor a Negro History Week in the second week of February. By the late 1960s, the Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month, which was then promulgated by president Gerald Ford in 1976 (Scott; “HISTORY OF | History of Black History Month” 01:25-01:35).
In 2020, many disturbing racist events have occured in the United States casting an ominous veil on the nation’s attempts to create racial justice. George Floyd, suffocated by a white police officer kneeling on his neck for a period reported to be 8 minutes and 46 seconds, initiated a worldwide Black Lives Matter movement that protested against police violence and racial discrimination. Racism was on display both in the hostile response to these protests and as white supremacists organized a violent pushback to Trump’s presidential loss by storming the U.S. capitol. In addition, the U.S. mourned the loss of many brilliant African American giants: the iconic civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis, international basketball star Kobe Bryant, female NASA research mathematician Katherine Johnson, to name a few.
In the face of these crises, Black History Month of 2021 serves as a chance for all Americans to reflect, self-educate, and recommit (“The Significance of Black History Month in 2021” 03:15-05:21). At St. Mark’s, even though we have had a Community and Equity program for almost a decade, the mission of becoming an antiracist school is a relatively recent aspiration and the school has an unpleasant history of racial discrimination. Since the launch of the Instagram account @blackatsm, African American students, alumni, faculty, and staff members have been encouraged to share their individual experiences anonymously to reveal how African American students have been frequently disregarded and excluded from the predominately white culture at St. Mark’s. St. Markers of various ages confided that certain faculty members and students were ignorant and disrespectful, ridiculing African American traits and using racial slurs. One student from the class of 2016 posts that “being a black student at SM means being instantly traumatized by the institution, teachers, and students and being told to suck it up because you’re lucky to even be at SM.” These disturbing and humiliating experiences lent this year’s Black History Month a more urgent purpose - to eliminate racism and grant full dignity and respect to black student in the community
At St. Mark’s, each week of last month was enriched with Instagram posts of @smlions on Monday Motivation, Wednesday Wisdom, Throwback Thursday, and Feature Friday. Monday Motivation celebrated outstanding African Americans in literature, art, athletics, and education with detailed introductions such as the prodigious author Toni Morrison, founder of American soul Sam Cooke, four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, and renowned educator Booker T. Washington. Wednesday Wisdom imparted lessons on affinity groups, the Black Lives Matter movement, and antiracist policies and terms. Throwback Thursday provided a flashback to the first African American members at St. Mark’s, and Feature Friday featured members of our community on social media this month.
Other affinity groups offered further information. Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) recommended movies and articles that explicate the intersections of the Black LGBTQ+ Community, introducing students to contributory yet often ignored or erased African American LGBTQ activists who speak truth to power. The rebellion against the police at the Stonewall Inn, considered by many as the beginning of the LGBTQ movement, was predominantly led by queer and trans people of color. A gay man of African heritage considers these activists empowering as they look like him, love like him, and fight for the same cause as him (“Black History Is LGBTQ History”). Furthermore, Ms. Lee and Ms. McCann respectively send documentaries and poems to watch and read throughout the month.
Though Black History Month only occurs in February, it does not mean the African American community is merely recognized in this shortest month of the year. Black history is a part of American history, and it needs to be remembered and celebrated every day instead of exclusively in a month. Nevertheless, due to a long history of racial discrimination, having every American truly respect the African American community is a long and gradual process. It requires the U.S. to start from a month and extend to a full year. During this month, the U.S. needs to look at the African American history both before and after slavery, paying remembrance and homage to not only the accomplished African American figures at the present but also to those deprived of freedom and the opportunity to excellence of the past.
Works Cited
“Black History Is LGBTQ History.” GLAD, 5 Feb. 2018, www.glad.org/post/black-history-lgbtq-history.
“HISTORY OF | History of Black History Month.” YouTube, uploaded by HISTORY Canada, 12 Feb. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnSHm3Y9qYc.
Scott, Daryl. “Origins of Black History Month – ASALH – The Founders of Black History Month.” ASALH, asalh.org/about-us/origins-of-black-history-month. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.
“The Significance of Black History Month in 2021.” YouTube, uploaded by CBS News, 2 Feb. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMrYp_LjBcM.