02/06/04
Amanda Cochran and Karissa Kilgore,
Staff Writers
Black History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements, history, and culture of African Americans, will be observed both nationally and at Seton Hill in February.
Black History Month originated in 1926 by the efforts of Carter G. Woodson, an African-American scholar.
February was originally chosen by Woodson in remembrance of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
February was later noted as the month the Fifteenth Amendment was passed, the month the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded, and when in North Carolina college students sat at a segregated lunch counter taking steps toward equality in the civil-rights movement.
Seton Hill will be celebrating this month with SHU's NAACP sponsored event, "On Being Black," February 13 at 7p.m.
SHU has been preparing for this month with activities throughout January.
On January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day off for the university, many students decided to take part in a service day: "Take the Day On." The day was sponsored by Campus Ministry in collaboration with the Multicultural Taskforce of the Affirmative Action Committee.
The joint event to the service day, "Keep the Dream Alive" was held on January 22 in Cecilian Hall. Several SHU students performed in a theatrical program.
The observance of Black History Month at SHU is viewed differently by SHU students.
According to Joseph Morgan, junior, "Black History Month...is making a statement that this school acknowledges other cultures as well as our own. It makes me feel great to be in this institution because it acknowledges my roots."
Sarah Rosenburg, sophomore, has a similar outlook: "I think that the school is doing a lot to promote [Black History Month] and that's good."
Allyson Knights, freshman, said, "I don't think it is fair. I think that if everyone is equal, we should all be treated equally. I think that focusing on color makes more tension in the races."
Others do not think SHU is doing its part to promote the month.
"They could address it more. They don't address us like the international students," said Shaquanda Anderson, senior.
Stephan Puff, freshman, said, "I hadn't even heard anything about Black History Month. I haven't even seen a flyer. Black History Month should be about all cultures coming together, not just one."
"I have a dream," Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963, "that one day...little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
Sharing African-American culture and heritage is the intent of Black History Month, but love, equality, and freedom also accompany this month's activities.
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View other articles by Karissa Kilgore: Click here