BLACK HISTORY

Resource Toolkit For The Ualbany Community

To help you celebrate Black History Month (BHM), the Multicultural Resource Center in collaboration with the Albany State University Black Alliance (A.S.U.B.A ) has created a toolkit that provides a host of resources to help you plan, communicate, and engage your teams on this significant month.

This toolkit contains links to videos, photos, articles, and shared folder to be used at the University at Albany to explore the heritage, culture, and experience of Black people both historically and in American life today, while also sharing the various ways our Albany State University Black Alliance collaborates with the Office of Intercultural Student Engagement.

1. Getting Started a. Heritage Month Theme b. What is BHM?

2. Getting Involved a. Albany State University Black Alliance b. Black movies and documentaries

3. Taking Action a. Resources and further information b. Black Solidarity Day 11/7/2022 c. Black Lives Matter d. Shared Folder, click here

Figure 1. The logo that will be used to unify our efforts in educating our UAlbany community about the historic and ongoing oppression that is faced by the Black community.

Heritage Month Theme

African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings since our arrival upon these shores. These efforts have been to advocate for a dignified selfdetermined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond the United States political jurisdiction. The 1950s and 1970s in the United States was defined by actions such as sit-ins, boycotts, walk outs, strikes by Black people and white allies in the fight for justice against discrimination in all sectors of society from employment to education to housing. Black people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Systematic oppression has sought to negate much of the dreams of our griots, like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and our freedom fighters, like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Septima Clark, and Fannie Lou Hamer fought to realize. Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives, and for autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through armed resistance, voluntary emigration, nonviolence, education, literature, sports, media, and legislation/politics. Black led institutions and affiliations have lobbied, litigated, legislated, protested, and achieved success.

To learn more, click here

WHAT IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH?

When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public’s attention important developments that merit emphasis.

Today, every February, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans as part of Black History Month.

Albany State University Black Alliance

Figure 3 ASUBA's logo

The Albany State University Black Alliance originated from the Educational Opportunities Program - Student Association (EOP-SA) in the early 1970s. With the help of others, these students banded together and demanded the establishment of Black and Puerto Rican studies programs. Forty years later, these programs still exist as the Africana Studies Department and the Latin Caribbean studies department. The students also formed Fuerza Latina and later formed the Pan-Caribbean, Haitian Student Association, Angelic Voices of Praise, African Student Association, and many more. Since its inception, ASUBA has grown and prospered through the hard work and efforts put forth by its members. For over forty years, ASUBA has remained committed to excellence in education, political action, cultural awareness, and community service on a national and local level. The alliance has perpetuated its commitment to service, cultural responsibility, and social development in the Albany area. The Albany State University Black Alliance has always been known for its political activism, educational commitment, and community service. Therefore, our motto is “In Unity, there is Strength.” Their goal is: To stand as the unifying force amongst all students of African descent.

To view all our African heritage student groups, visit our shared folder here.