Ronda Thompson
It was the first day of Black History Month, February 1, 2021, that I stepped in to serve as Interim Chief-Diversity Officer. As we begin this year’s acknowledgment and celebration of Black History Month, I can’t help but reflect on the past year and my journey. When I agreed to serve in the interim role, I had no expectation of where it would lead me. However, I did believe that a strong Year Up culture had to include a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. And that our culture had to be built on the foundation of living our core values, strong management
practices, our aspirations to operate as an antiracist organization, and a commitment to the wellness of our employees. As I think about this year’s Black History Month theme, “Black Health and Wellness,” I think about our aspirations to operate as an antiracist organization and how doing so will lead us on a path to a healthier Year Up. As we celebrate Black History month this year, I hope we take this opportunity to not focus on the trauma and harm experienced by Black people but use this moment to celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions made by Black people across the diaspora. As we work to foster an environment of belonging, take some time this month to focus on activities, rituals, and initiatives that Black communities have done to foster good health and wellness.
Dr. Onllwyn Dixon
Black History Month should remind us of the shared responsibility to make a more perfect union. Do we want a multiracial society that invites and celebrates the contributions of everyone and makes it possible for them to live dignified lives? If we answer in the affirmative, we must be
committed to the liberation of Black folks. On the one hand, we cannot acknowledge white supremacy and, on the other, not recognize the disproportionate centuries-long impact it has had and continues to have on the lives of Black folks. Therefore, I take this month and every day
of the year to honor the commitment of Black women like Stacey Abrams, Joy Reid, LaTosha Brown, and Nikole Hannah-Jones. They repeatedly challenge us to ask if the American experiment is worth preserving, and if so, what are we willing to do to ensure it lives up to its promise.
Valencia Gomez
Black History Month for me is a season to give reverence and celebrate our ancestors for the indelible mark they have made in America and across the diaspora. It’s a reminder of our continued efforts to bring about liberation for all Black people. Most of all, this time of year
reaffirms for me that Black has always been bold, beautiful, joyful, loving, and resilient.
Jenye Fletcher
It’s always a great day to be Black; however, Black History Month is a particularly special time. It is a time to remind those that don’t have it in the forefront of their minds of how beautiful, brilliant and resilient we are. It is a time to remind others that this country absolutely could not
be what it is today without the contributions of my people. As a former educator, it is also a time to reflect and rededicate myself to continually be a student of our history and share our history
from our point of view.
Luis Cabrales-Vasquez
Historians have the power to shape reality by redesigning and creating new narratives that serve a specific purpose with their own bias. In the US, that bias is racism, pervasive anti-Blackness, and white supremacy. I learned about John Glenn orbiting the earth in school with a picture of
him standing next to other white people that helped make it happen. I learned about Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan that were the human computers that also helped make it possible during BHM my freshman year. Our country was built and continues to operate
on the oppression and erasure of Black people and their experiences. Black History Month has been a powerful tool in pulling the thread of lies and omission in racist history to unveil the truth
