Embracing Black History Month: Lessons from a Teacher, a Culture, and a Lifetime of Learning
David Perry
Communications Manager @ IGM Financial Inc. | Curious - Strategic - Resilient - Optimistic - Generalist - Empathetic - Quietly Confident | DEI, 2SLGBTQI+ ????? & Women in STEM ally
Black History Month has always felt personal to me, in good part due to the lady in that photo above - and yes, the radiant kid with a shy smile, that's me! ??.
Black History Month is celebrated annually in February in the U.S. and Canada, and in October in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It honors the remarkable achievements and contributions of Black individuals to history, culture, and society. This month-long celebration is a time to learn about, appreciate, and cherish the contributions and culture of the Black community and its profound impact on the world's history and culture.
Although we only stayed [in Jamaica] for a year due to my dad's job transfer (again), the experience forever altered the course of my life. Literally.
For me, this observance also serves as a time to reminisce and pay tribute to Mrs. Jones, my 5th-grade teacher at Belair Prep School , who provided invaluable support and encouragement to a timid kid from rural Québec, who had only recently moved to this strange and exotic land called Jamaica. I had learned English over the summer and initially found it challenging to fully integrate into my new classroom, often preferring the protective solitude of the school's Reading Center in the mornings. However, through her abundant love and nurturing, Mrs. Jones helped me to embrace this new and thrilling experience fearlessly. She played a pivotal role in helping me emerge from my shell and discover a vast new world. I can still fondly recall her hearty laugh and warm embrace. ??
My time in Jamaica was truly magical and transformative. Although we only stayed for a year due to my dad's job transfer (again), the experience forever altered the course of my life. Literally. It introduced me to a rich new culture, an array of new foods (like pumpkin pie, pepper pot, and Jamaican patties), and ignited a passion for the history of a group of people I had previously known little about – leading me to explore Black History.
Over the decades since, I've learned about incredible figures, both renowned and lesser-known, who played significant roles in shaping history. This includes amazing individuals like James Armistead Lafayette , Toussaint Louverture , Charles Richard Drew , Jackie Robinson (who briefly played for the Montreal Royals), Octavia E. Butler (a favourite science fiction writer), Garrett Morgan , Lewis Howard Latimer , Elijah McCoy ("The real McCoy"), NASA's Katherine Johnson , Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson ("Hidden Figures "), even Bob Marley , Louis Armstrong , and Oscar Peterson , as well as Nelson Mandela . And that list goes on, much longer than some might imagine. Much longer!
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So how can you celebrate Black History Month? Let me count the ways...
Celebrating Black History Month, at its core, involves participating in activities that enhance your understanding and appreciation of Black history and culture, while also supporting the Black community.
Here are some ways to engage:
Celebrating Black History Month transcends merely acknowledging historical achievements; it's about actively contributing to a future that values racial equality and justice. Your involvement and advocacy can create significant impact, not just in February but all year round.
This has been my approach ever since an extraordinary woman's path intersected with mine.
Creative & Marketing Consultant
9 个月This is a fantastic story David and thank you for sharing. Up until the third grade I lived in a small segregated coal town in a small valley in West Virginia. The "blacks only" school had only recently been abandoned and the town was divided by a street that racially kept the two sides apart. Of course, as a young man I had no idea what any of that meant and had many friends on both sides of those imaginary and all-to-real tracks. Being exposed at such a young age to both sides gave me a unique and powerful perspective that has been a strong underpinning to my life ever since. A practical and real understanding of what it means to see both sides of an argument and understand issues from multiple perspectives. In many ways that experience made me especially good at marketing and reaching multiple audiences, not to mention a lifetime of appreciation for racial issues that continue to be important to all of us.