;29 FEBRUARY 2024
Beyond February: an opinion piece
INDY MARING
The goal of Black History Month at its inception was to make Black History Month obsolete. And I hope at some point we stop celebrating Black History Month. This opinion may surprise you but I mean it. Let me tell you why. While designating a specific month to celebrate Black history has value, solely relying on this framework presents a crucial limitation. True progress lies in embedding the acknowledgment and celebration of Black people’s history and accomplishments within our curriculums and daily lives, year-round. Firstly, limiting Black history to February risks relegating it to the periphery of our collective consciousness. It inadvertently suggests that the contributions and stories of Black individuals are confined to a specific period, neglecting the ongoing impact they have had and continue to have on society. By integrating Black history throughout the year, we ensure a more nuanced and holistic understanding, allowing our experiences and achievements to become an intrinsic part of our learning and reflection. Secondly, a year-round approach allows for a deeper exploration of Black history. Confining it to a month often leads to a surface-level skimming of significant events and figures. When Black History Month rolls around we’re inundated with stories of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights Movement, and maybe Malcolm X. It’s always the same people and the same stories, year after year. That’s incredibly boring. By incorporating Black history and stories Continued to page 2
AC’s African American Read-In EVELYN KACPRZYNSKI
The African American Read-In is a nationwide celebration that takes place in February, during Black History Month. The event brings communities together to honor and recognize African American literature and literacy. Dr. Vincent Bissonette initiated Allendale Columbia’s own African American Read-In in 2021. “[The African American Read-In] makes an important public statement. Many of the texts we hear at this event — and many of the Black people who wrote them — have been historically marginalized. But these texts are so important. Every student from Lower School to Upper School, every faculty or staff member who participates in this event is affirming the value and importance of these texts by reading and hearing them in the Dining Commons, the literal and symbolic center of Allendale Columbia.” In centering African American authors and their works, the event fosters environments where their voices can be uplifted and appreciated.
AC Alum, Harmony Palmer, describes the event as “a very good celebration of black artistry and creativity, [and] recognition of race and difference.” Whether it be sharing readings from African American writers or simply listening to others share, the African American Read-In illuminates the impacts of literature in shaping cultural identity and understanding. Indy Maring states “I believe it adds value to our campus by having students and faculty engage with their favorite Black authors and poets and sharing them with the larger community.” In addition to recognizing black authors, the event may resonate with many students. As Dr. Bissonette reflects, “I love that this event invites students to select texts that are meaningful to them and share them. It’s a very simple idea and a very powerful one.” Our event took place in the dining commons on Thursday, February 29 at 9:05.
History of African American Read-ins ANGELICA DAVIS-BERNARD
This year I experienced my first African American Read-In. This was not a tradition at my previous institutions. The beauty of the African American Read-In is the exposure to the literature, artistry, poems, and expressions of Blackness. This intentional expression of Blackness should be lifted more often where there is an intentional embedding in the curriculum. I see beauty in the possibilities of AC and schools alike in raising our critical consciousness and honoring Black people beyond Black History Month. Exploring Black history, leaders, and events (such as the Tulsa massacre) is American history that goes beyond 28 days or 29 days in a leap year. Researching organizations like the Black Literacy Societies was fulfilling where I was full of pride, joy, anger, and sadness. These emotions settled in simultaneously as I learned that as early as the late 1790s and throughout the 1800s, the main goal among Black Americans in the North was to improve and elevate the condition of people of African descent through literary means. The history of AfricanAmerican literary societies when freed Black people organized collectively to plan action for the abolitionist (anti-slavery) movement. Furthermore, members in these
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