It’s African American History Month!
February is African American History Month, and recently the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. While we want to celebrate African American excellence year-round, this month we would like to congratulate the countless Black people who, throughout history, have sought to make their communities and the world better, despite the systemic racism they struggle through daily. The month should be about highlighting Black excellence and reflecting on our roles in contributing to anti-racism.
One person we’d like to highlight is Ayanna Pressley who, in 2018, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the first woman of color to represent Massachusetts in that role. In 2009, she was the first person of color to be elected to the Boston City Council. As City Councilor, she formed the Committee on Healthy Women, Families, and Communities; she implemented initiatives for better sex education and family planning programs in public schools; and she is a proponent for progressive policies in climate change and Medicare now as a House Representative. You can read more about her mission here.
Another person we’d like to highlight is Maria Baldwin. In 1889, Maria Baldwin became the first Black principal of any school in the state and Northeast, at the Agassiz school. Her students were all middle-class white children, and many of her staff and faculty were white as well. Regardless, she worked hard as an educator, and became the master of a new Agassiz school erected in 1916. She is the only Black woman of color—one of two women ever—to be a school master in Cambridge. She was an activist, and educator, and a valuable Bostonian mind. You can visit her house.
To connect with the various organizations documenting and promoting African American excellence, check out this hub for exhibitions and teaching guides.
Part of African American History Month should not only be reflecting on the history of African Americans, but also reflecting on our contributions to anti-racism. Last year, during the protests seeking justice for George Floyd, our library staff began compiling anti-racism resources, especially those about race-based medical discrimination. You can go through that LibGuide here. The Anti-Racism Resource Guide includes information about documenting and addressing race-based medical disparities, resources for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and co-conspirators to engage in anti-racism work, and tons of reading material. This LibGuide is a living document, so if you don’t see something you expect to see, let us know here.
Our previous post was about our anti-racism reading group meeting on February 19. For the readings and registration links, check out the post here.
