Black History Month: Where Do We Go From Here?
2/1/2021 1:30:00 PM
In celebration of Black History Month, Michigan Athletics is considering "Where Do We Go From Here?" Through conversations and profiles with our student-athletes and staff, we will celebrate people and culture, while recognizing our country's history. We introduce the month with thoughts from associate director of development Whitney Tarver.
By Whitney Tarver
In many ways, the ramp-up to Black History Month 2021 feels different. Heavier. There's a greater sense of urgency around it. An increased need for the joy of celebrating the many contributions Black people have made to American culture since the nation's founding. A clamoring for Black stories, music, and art to continue our mass (un)learning. Underdog narratives of triumph are needed now more than ever to help lift our spirits and cleanse our timelines.
But in many ways, it feels the same. While the word "unprecedented" continues to define our current collective state, the word "familiar" could also be used to describe the experience for the Black community. In addition to being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, we are still enthralled in a fight for racial equality, justice, and civil rights. The duality of celebrating and finding joy in the midst of pain, sacrifice and loss is not new to us, and this year is no different. It is within that duality, though, that the strength of our community lies. The ability to find light in the darkest of times; to press forward when every obstacle lies ahead; to continue to speak up when those close to you have been silenced; to keep fighting when bone-weary; to love when experiencing hate; to live, achieve, and prosper amid deep-seated oppression.
That joy has always been and continues to be our greatest form of resistence.
So, Where Do We Go From Here?
A poignant question and also the theme of U-M's 2021 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium. To chart the path forward, we all must strive to learn from where and which we came -- a complete history lesson inclusive of the most marginalized people, those who have often been removed from the narrative. Black history IS American history. We must accurately and appropriately credit the life-changing contributions from the Black community in the development of our nation. We must not allow ourselves to become complacent or satisfied with how far we've come, or the achievements of our ancestors will have been made in vain.
Black History Month is, of course, a time to reflect upon our history, a history we know is laden with pain, and to honor the legacies of those who sacrificed so much in the name of progress, but it is also a time to pay homage through joy and celebration. It is a time to amplify the voices that are often talked-over or silenced, a time to acknowledge the achievements and innovation that have been overlooked and undervalued, a time to shout out the trailblazers who paved the way for me and others who look like me.
I hope that the lessons learned from our history and the wisdom of our elders and ancestors inspire us all to find ways to overcome divisions, and I implore you to not confine the spirit and joy of this celebration to the 28 days of February, but to carry them forward as we pave the way for the next generation.
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February 02, 2021 at 01:37AM
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Black History Month: Where Do We Go From Here? - MGoBlue
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