By Lee Mendez/ tr news editor
February celebrates black history and the men and women of a group that has been historically disenfranchised through systematic oppression.
Civil rights and the struggle for human equality has always been a difficult endeavor and worthy of continued remembrance. This month offers us a chance to celebrate past achievements by men and women who refused to allow prejudice to dictate their standing.
Despite a tumultuous election year and talk of present divisions widening even deeper, especially among social class issues, we must remember in hope. After all, the men and women who are icons among Black History Month believed in the hope of a more perfect America.
That hope is what has inspired strength, compassion and wisdom to emerge victoriously over the shadows of division that seek to diminish the light of American liberty.
Often, the widest divisions may seem like an infinite challenge that can’t be overcome. Still, any work toward reconciling those divisions is part of the endeavor we must engage in to bridge the gap between those divisions.
Robert F. Kennedy once said, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.”
Let us renew our faith in hope and the good works that fill the chasms of division to form a more perfect union.
If individuals sincerely wish to heal divisions, appreciating the history and culture of all ethnic groups is a sincere way to start. In sharing our stories, universal truths will undoubtedly be revealed. Truth always gives birth to hope.
Between classes this month, make it a point to stop by your local campus library for its own Black History Month exhibition. Take the time to attend any of the planned Black History Month events held on your campus.
By observing, listening and experiencing these events, participants will learn how even the hardest chapters of black history contain immense lessons of hope.
Learn about a past that helped to ensure individuals are judged on the content of their character and not the color of their skin, to paraphrase the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By looking into the past, we will find strength in hope. By looking into the past, we should not fear our entry into the future.
