By Sarah Holloway
As the month of February dawned, so did Black History Month, the month that celebrates and highlights the African-American community and heritage.
In 1926, Carter G. Woodson started a week long celebration in honor of the African-American culture. This week-long celebration was known as Negro History Week. Woodson’s goal when creating Negro History Week was to educate the American people on the African-American culture and background, and it has since evolved into a month long celebration of heritage and culture that is known as Black History Month.
The opportunity to learn about a different culture is important, as it allows people to broaden their horizons about cultures that may be unfamiliar to them.
Tyler Brumbalow, sophomore English major, believes that it is important to learn about different cultures and familiarize himself with people he may not otherwise get the opportunity to learn about.
“I think Black History Month is an important part of the year,” he said. “It gives students, especially those in public schools, a chance to familiarize themselves with important African-American individuals that have done extraordinary things.”
One group on the CU campus has the objective of celebrating the African-American culture: the Ebony Society.
During Black History Month, the Ebony Society hosts the Miss Black CU pageant, according to Nate Todd, Coordinator of Prospective Student Services and member of the Ebony Society.
The Miss Black CU pageant was held on Saturday, February 4th in the Cameron University Theatre. This year six contestants competed for the title of Miss Black CU.
Although it is not held in February, CU participates in the national Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. This event highlights the work of Civil Rights leader Dr. King, who worked to ensure that his fellow African-American people have the same rights as people of other ethnicities. CU students worked together to help the community by volunteering at various places around the Lawton area in honor of Dr. King.
Though there are two events on the CU campus that collectively celebrate a prominent person in the African-American community and the community as a whole, Brumbalow believes that there should be more events on campus that celebrate the African-American culture as well as other cultures.
“The African-American culture, along with all of the others, should be celebrated and spread as a unique and enlightening experience,” he said. “Events like Black History Month celebrate the different cultures, help expand a person’s view and help to culturally round out students.”
Black History Month is a time of celebration for the African-American community. It gives the culture the opportunity to shine. It also gives people of other cultures and backgrounds the chance to broaden their horizons and learn more about this diverse community.