{"id":60302,"date":"2026-02-27T17:11:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T22:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/starr.org\/?p=60302"},"modified":"2026-02-27T23:04:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T04:04:52","slug":"black-history-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starr.org\/2026\/black-history-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Belonging to Our Collective History: Reflecting on the Legacy of Black History Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading60302_45003a-ab\">Each February, Black History Month is observed across the United States. Black History Month is an opportunity to honor Black voices and experiences, not as separate or alone, but as part of our collective history. Starr has always recognized the full truth and spectrum of lived experiences that inform us as we work to foster healing and shape a world where we all belong.<br>\u00a0<br>Black History Month traces its origins back to historian Carter G. Woodson, who established \u201cNegro History Week\u201d in 1926 to promote the study of Black history in schools and public life.\u00a0On this 100<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary, it is important to acknowledge that Dr. Woodson never intended the observance to be divisive, but rather to educate all Americans about African American contributions to the United States.\u00a0The observance aimed to engage, invite, and inform about Black history as integral to American history, and one of belonging.<br>\u00a0<br>In 1969, students and faculty at Kent State University advocated for expanding the observance to a full month.\u00a0In 1976, during the nation\u2019s bicentennial, President Gerald R. Ford formally recognized Black History Month as a national observance.<br>\u00a0<br>Black History Month also highlights contributions across a wide range of fields.\u00a0Literary figures such as James Baldwin and Zora Neale Hurston have shaped American letters, while scientists and innovators including Katherine Johnson and Mark Dean have contributed to advances in science and technology.\u00a0Civil rights leaders such as Ella Baker, Diane Nash, and Kwame Ture played significant roles in movements that sought to expand political participation and legal protections during the twentieth century.<br>\u00a0<br>In recent years, Black History Month has intersected with broader national discussions about how American history should be taught.\u00a0Policymakers, educators, and community members have debated the scope and framing of topics such as slavery, segregation, systemic racism, and civil rights.\u00a0Some argue that certain educational policies risk narrowing the discussion of these subjects, while others contend that curriculum changes are intended to ensure age-appropriate instruction or to present multiple perspectives.\u00a0These debates reflect differing views about how history should be interpreted and presented in public education.<br>\u00a0<br>Commentators across the political spectrum have also weighed in on these issues. Some have expressed concern that recent policy changes may diminish public engagement with aspects of Black history. Other analysts and policymakers dispute that characterization, arguing that reforms are aimed at adjusting educational priorities rather than removing historical content. The discussion illustrates the broader tension surrounding national memory, public institutions, and civic education.<br>\u00a0<br>Historical studies often reveal patterns of inequality, reform, and resistance.\u00a0Figures such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph, and Bayard Rustin are frequently studied for their roles in abolition, anti-lynching advocacy, voting rights organizing, community programs, labor movements, and nonviolent protest strategies.\u00a0Their work forms part of a broader historical narrative about democratic participation and social change in the United States.<br>\u00a0<br>More broadly, history functions as a means of understanding how institutions developed, how power has been distributed, and how individuals and communities have shaped the nation\u2019s trajectory.\u00a0Black History Month serves as one structured opportunity to examine these themes within the specific context of African American history.<br>\u00a0<br>For Starr, the observance of Black History Month is both commemorative and educational. It encourages recognition of achievement while also prompting examination of historical events and their long-term effects.\u00a0As public conversations about national identity and civic education continue, Black History Month remains a recurring moment for reflection on the complexity of the American experience and the diverse narratives that compose it. To that, we all belong.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Each February, Black History Month is observed across the United States. Black History Month is an opportunity to honor Black voices and experiences, not as separate or alone, but as part of our collective history. Starr has always recognized the full truth and spectrum of lived experiences that inform us as we work to foster [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36326,"featured_media":60256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"coauthors":[13],"class_list":["post-60302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.9 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Belonging to Our Collective History: Reflecting on the Legacy of Black History Month - Starr Commonwealth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Starr has been named a Best Nonprofit Workplace for 2026, for the 7th consecutive year in a row, earning national recognition for our commitment to a people-first culture where employees feel valued, empowered, and inspired.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/starr.org\/2026\/black-history-month\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Belonging to Our Collective History: Reflecting on the Legacy of Black History Month - 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