February 16, 2016
By Jonathan DeLeon
Since the abolishment of slavery, the month of February has been dedicated to those individuals of color that have made history and continue to do so.
Students and staff on campus are looking forward to learning more about important figures like Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and even President Barack Obama. However, it’s vital that we encourage member of our community to look past these well-known figures and take a deeper look into the history.
Xavier Alston, who is majoring in black world studies, sees Black History Month as an opportunity to “spread culture, a message and teach black people about who they are.”
He also said, “We must not fall for stereotypes and be proud of our heritage in its fullness not just for a month. We can’t believe what the media portrays people of color to be in movies, music and other such outlets.”
Dining services worker, Gloria Ukachuukwu, expressed that there is too much history to be confined in just one month.
“Through all the struggles we have overcome and continue to fight, it is nice to have a time to focus on the positives and recognize how far we have actually come,” Ukachuukwu said.
English professor, Gil Cook, studies African descent and is not anti-Black History Month but believes it is deeper in history then we give it credit for.
“The first thing we have to understand is the concept of black as a social construct that was invented during the African American slave trade,” Cook said. “If we are going to do history then let’s do history and talk about the shifts in the culture from traditional practices in colonial times to what we see today.”
Dominican has always been a proud supporter of Black History and encourages students at attend the different events that are taking place on campus.
There are two Book Club Series meetings on Feb. 17 and 24 for the book “Black Girl Dangerous: On Race, Queerness, Class and Gender” in Parmer-CTLE. The annual African American Students/Alumnae/i Reception and Presentation is another important event that is worth attending.
delejona@my.dom.edu