Black History Month Recap- the Good, the Bad, and Pushing for Change

Written by Maureen Lynch

February has come to an end and with it the 2022 Black History Month. There have been some positive efforts on both the Assumption campus and from larger organizations such as Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Historically Black Colleges. However, there have been serval attacks against the African American community this month, proving that the United States has a long way to go before racial equality is achieved.

In the following weeks the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning against the fact that more attacks are likely to come as a way of ‘“acting in furtherance of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances pose an ongoing threat to the nation.”’ The report, according to Campus Safety Magazine, states that these attacks are based on factors such as the propagation of fake news and repeated calls for violence against minority groups such as African Americans, religious minorities and media outlets.

Among these threats and continued fear of violence, African American organizations are striving to push forward towards racial equality. BLM launched two events this month- the Trayvon Martin Peace Walk and Peace Talk and launched the Demand Congress End Qualified Immunity campaign. These two events are pushing justice for African Americans who have been victims of racial violence, and for accountability for police officers respectively.

The Assumption University Black Diaspora Student Union partnered with the ALANA Network to host a Black History Month Trivia event on February 1st and a lecture on Black History on February 17th.

Similarly, the ALANA Network on campus hosted a Black History Month Movie Night on February 11th and a Black History Month Dinner at Taylor Dining Hall on February 24th. Julie Raymond, the public relations coordinator for the ALANA Network commented that due to inclement weather, the attendance at both events was low, but there was significant interest about another movie night.

“More education on diversity, having those conversations with your peers is something that needs to happen,” said Raymond when asked about what the Assumption community can do to support students of color on campus.

Working to make a structural change in society is more than a difficult task. It is abundantly clear that there is still much needed change that must occur. However, many are trying to further the cause of racial equality, across the nation. If you are interested in supporting the cause, please follow the Assumption Black Student Union on Instagram at assumptionu.bsu.

The ALANA Network Instagram page at assumption­u­_alana_ccc for information on how to get involved on campus. Meetings are held on Thursdays at 6:30 in the ALANA office in Hagan. They are hosting several other events this year including Multi-Cultural Day and Step and Dance that are in the works for later in the semester.

If you are interested on getting involved on a national level, I would recommend visiting the websites for BLM, the NAACP, or the Black Youth Project.