By: Julia Gordon and Theo Botman
In honor of February being Black History Month, we decided to interview some of the student members of FHCI’s very own Black Student Alliance (BSA). They were all hard at work preparing for the amazing Black History Month assembly but were generous enough to let us ask a few questions.
The first question was a classic: what does Black History Month mean to you?
We received a variety of answers, ranging from students saying that it’s a celebration of Black culture, a way to raise awareness about Black history, a way to appreciate the people who came before us and their legacies, and a way for allies of the Black community to support people of colour. A thoughtful point was also brought up.
They pointed out that Black History Month is a way to change the often negative narrative of Black history, and that most people lose focus on the many positive contributions people of colour have brought to society.
An example of one of these people is Alice Bell.
She was a chemist born in 1892 who came up with the first treatment for leprosy which had plagued the earth for hundreds of years. Black history month is important because it allows us to celebrate black excellence.
Next, we asked for the students’ thoughts on the impact of the Black History Month assembly on FHCI. Many students hoped that the assembly would bring the BSA and FHCI’s Black student community to the spotlight, and maybe introduce the BSA to new students.
Finally, the students wanted to add that they hope that the celebration of Black history will last for the entire year, not just February.
The history and contributions people of color have made are too important to be limited to a single month, so it’s important that we recognize them more often.
Thank you to the BSA for letting us interview them, and congratulations on hosting an amazing assembly! It was both super informative and lots of fun, so hopefully they’ll do another that’s just as great next February! In the meantime, let’s remember the impact of Black history all year round and ensure that we don’t forget such important knowledge.