Commemorating Black history virtually

Sol Garcia | THE RIDER

In 1915, historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History to research and recognize Black Americans and others of African descent, according to history.com. 

The organization would become today’s Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and in 1926, it began to honor the second week of February as national Negro History Week. The week coincided with Frederick Douglass’ and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. 

After the week received momentum across the country from schools to mayors, universities began to commemorate Black History Month. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially designated February as Black History Month. 

Forty-five years after the designation, Black History Month continues to recognize Black history and accomplishments. 

However, it is important to acknowledge that marginalized groups or identities must be recognized for more than a month, said Alexandra Hughes, UTRGV assistant director of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

“When it comes to the idea of Black History Month, or any month from a particular identity or marginalized group, the first thing is recognition that it should be celebrated more than just in a particular time frame,” Hughes said. 

To commemorate Black History Month, students should learn about Black history to gain an understanding of current events, she said.

“The whole point is to examine history and really using this month to bring attention to the historical events within this country that have caused the current time that we’re in,” Hughes said. 

Students can learn more about Black history on various mediums, she said. Hughes’ recommendations include “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America,” a podcast hosted by Carvell Wallace and ACLU Deputy Director Jeffery Robinson, and “13th,” a Netflix documentary that analyzes the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom. Readers can learn from many novels, such as “How to be an Antiracist,” and Instagram users can access accounts dedicated to racial justice. 

“As you come across different things … you may learn about Black culture, you may learn about history, you may learn about your own culture, you may learn about the intertwining of different things,” Hughes said. 

The UTRGV community can further commemorate Black History Month by attending virtual events distinguishing the Black community.

The events, hosted by several UTRGV departments, range from movie nights and last week’s Distinguished Speaker Series to the People Series, which discusses influential individuals and their impacts, said Vanessa Sandoval, program coordinator for Leadership and Social Change.

While Hispanic students are the majority at UTRGV, many other students are Black and other ethnicities, and their cultures should be celebrated, too, Sandoval said.  

The virtual events not only feature Black historical figures but also focus on continuing to advocate for social justice, she said. 

“[They are] just really celebrating those who have paved the way to where we are today and, really, acknowledging how far we’ve come but how much work we still need to … create equality and equity within everyone,” Sandoval said.

By observing Black History Month through virtual events, the UTRGV community can be brought together and learn, said Andrea Asare, a second-year nursing major. 

“The UTRGV community will be able to know more about the Black community, what we fought for and also understand where we’re coming from,” Asare said. “I really think it’s just the way of bringing people together, too.”

She believes if people educated themselves more on the Black community, then they would be able to help more.  

“Let’s just say the police officers with George Floyd, and everything, if more people were more knowledgeable, or they got to know more about the Black community and about human rights, I feel certain things wouldn’t have happened, or certain things wouldn’t have escalated quickly,” Asare said. 

For a list of Black History Month events and pre-registration, visit the schedule of events.