Second Annual History Month Event Held in Gasson

Administrators, alumni, and students gathered Tuesday night in Gasson Hall for the second annual celebration of the Boston College Black History Month Opening Ceremony – the first of 11 Black History Month events the University has slated for the next month.

During the event, Julianne Malveaux, BC '74 and speaker, stressed the importance of historical interpretation in understanding African history in America. "History is in the hands of those who hold the pen," she said. During her time at BC, Malveaux served as the former leader of the Black Talent Program, and was recognized on campus for her activism, she said. "The University's president didn't know my name because of my GPA, but because we were constantly protesting," she said. "People did not talk about black history. Why would people want us to know anything that would empower us? The history of black people is embarrassing to America but the resilience is empowering to us."

The solution to highlighting black history, she said, is for citizens to break free from their cultural chains. "Today there are so many of us with enslaved brains," she said. "We really need to talk about the state of our brains, the state of our history, and the change we can make. The issue is of telling the story, putting the pen in the right people's hands."

She advised students, "If you want to be a leader, don't choose leadership, do leadership. It is so important to serve," she said. "The black community has stories to be told that deserve to be told. The people who need to tell those stories are some of you."
BC's newest a cappella group, BEATS (Black Experience in America Through Song) performed for those in attendance prior to Malveaux's address. "Our goal is to expose the BC community to songs that relate to the black experience," said Titciana Barros, co-founder of BEATS and A&S '11.  "Initially, I envisioned the group taking songs from each decade and showing the progression, but we realized we could do so much more. Now we're looking to use our shows to educate others by giving background." Sofia Mohammed, A&S '11, said that student involvement in the promotion of black history served as a catalyst for this year's and last year's events. "What really turned that around was the AHANA students who advocated for a greater celebration of Black History Month last year and now this year."

 Malveaux said that it is so important for young students to discover what they are and what they will advocate and fight for. She referenced student sit-ins at a racially segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina as an example of youth involvement. "Sitting does not necessarily mean sitting down," she said, "What do you want to do after school other than make a lot of money? What would you sit in for? What would you do?"