Celebrating Black Excellence Year-Round
February is a celebration of Black history makers from our past, present, and future.
As this year’s Black History Month comes to an end, our Founder & CEO, Dr. Chanel Hampton, and our Manager of Equity Initiatives, Alyssa Williams, shared their reflections on the power of this month and the importance of lifting up the legacy of Black history every day.
I have come to accept and honor the fact that I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.
If Joe Harris and Lola Mae (my grandfather and grandmother) were alive to see what we’ve been able to accomplish at Strategic Community Partners with and for communities we deeply care about...communities they, too, were a part of and deeply cared for, I know they would be proud.
They migrated from Union Springs, Alabama to Detroit, Michigan in hopes of the dream that I live out today because of their hard work, determination, vision, and prayers. And I still look forward-thinking about my passions, my leadership, and my contributions to ensure my grandchildren, too, will be able to look back and see what their grandmother did, who she was, and why she got into good trouble.
Black History Month is about honoring our ancestors, those beautiful souls who still walk amongst us, and accepting our own greatness. For our non-Black brothers and sisters, it is still an opportunity to honor, to further accept, and to acknowledge Black excellence in greater ways--not just in this month, but beyond.
I celebrate and honor Black people every day--and I know how blessed I am to be a Black woman.
Throughout the years, I approached Black History Month as an avid learner.
What are new facts I can learn about my heroes?
Who are some unsung heroes that can be lifted up?
Yet this year I found myself approaching February solemnly and humbly. Not from sadness but from a place of needing healing, understanding, and comfort after a turbulent 2020. In this space of vulnerability, I was able to find a new appreciation for our Black History trailblazers and began to reflect on how they were normal people, that faced trials and tribulations and were still able to change the world.
I think of Maya Angelou, a renowned author and poet, honored for her powerful spirit, grace, and knowledge. Maya Angelou also went through trauma at a young age, didn’t speak from age 8 - 12, was a teen mother, and had several turbulent marriages. Her tests in life became her testimony - she was able to write, dance, and appreciate the beauty of the world despite the ugly moments that would come along.
Audre Lorde wrote, “Only by learning to live in harmony with your contradictions can you keep it all afloat.” I understand now that the Black History heroes that I look up to did not live perfect lives - many times it was their hardships that propelled them forward in their work.
So this Black History Month I pulled back from the idea of perfection and redirected towards authenticity, fearlessness, and acceptance of the full spectrum of the human experience.
Explore more tools, events, and opportunities to learn and engage in Black history this month and advance racial justice throughout the year with our Antiracist Community Resource Guide.