LEANN BURKE / THE DEPAUW
In 1926, Carter G. Woodson together with the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced that the second week of February—chosen for the significant dates of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on the 12 and Frederick Douglass on the 14—would be considered “Negro History Week.”
It was designated as a week in which black history would be taught and celebrated, with the push primarily being for education in public schools. However, in the first year of the initiative, only the Departments of Education in North Carolina, Deleware and West Virginia, as well as city school administrations in Baltimore and Washington D.C. actually cooperated.
In 1970, Negro History Week was extended into the full month of February by leaders at Kent State, and six years later it was recognized by the U.S. government and President Gerald Ford, who stated that Americas should “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
So this month, all month, speakers will be on campus and events will be taking place. Campus climate has been at the forefront of DePauw’s collective mind for almost a year now, and this month is an opportunity to continue that discussion.
As a campus, we need to make the time to attend these events. The DePauw Dialogue was a starting point, and this month we can take the next step, or even two. For those who are truly unable to attend, The DePauw will be providing coverage—in this issue two stories, “’New Black’ debuts on campus” and “Right to Ferguson,” focus on the events and speakers brought to campus in honor of Black History Month. Our campus climate is what our community makes it, and dedicating this one month to learning about the struggles and successes of a race that has been enslaved and marginalized is the very least we can do.
Though learning about black history shouldn’t end with this month, this month is a good place for learning to start. Black History Month month presents us with a number of opportunities to learn, and taking advantage of them is not just a good idea, it is part of our on-going education, and of our efforts to make this campus a place where all feel welcome.