black history essay contest

Black History Essay Competition

The Dr. Carter G. Woodson 2024 Black History Essay Competition for Students in Grades 10-12 and at Marshall University.  This essay contest is sponsored by the national Pan-Hellenic Council at Marshall University as well as the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Lyceum.

African Americans and the Arts

Eligibility.

There are four separate divisions for the competition based on three high school levels — for students in grades 10, 11 and 12 — and one level for all Marshall University students.

$100 each to winners in grades 10, 11 and 12; $200 to the Marshall University winner, and $50 to honorable mentions.

Due to the poor weather conditions and school closings last week, the deadline has been extended to 11 p.m., January 26, 2024

Essays will be judged on

• The extent to which students effectively express the importance the theme, “African Americans and the Arts.”
• Correct use of spelling, grammar usage, sentence structure.
• organization, arguments and conclusion also will be considered by judges.

Please note the following requirements:

• Students in grades 10-12 should state their names, grade levels and teachers’ names if they are submitting essays through a class. This information should appear on line 1. Marshall students should state their names, year in school and majors on the top line of each page.
• Pages should be numbered.
• On line 2, type the essay’s theme — “African Americans and the Arts.”
• Below the headings (1-3 above), the first page should be a short statement about what the student learned while conducting research for this essay – at least 100 words but not longer than page 1.
• PDF Version
• DOCX Version
• The essay should begin on page 3.
• Page setup should be 1-inch margins, and text should be double-spaced using 12-point font in Times New Roman.
• Essays should be submitted only in PDF.
• Create a filename for the document: Your Lastname_BlackHistoryEssay_2024 (Example: Morris_BlackHistoryEssay_2024).

Additional Information

Please visit 2024 Black History Theme African Americans and the Arts (asalh.org) for additional information about the Black History Theme. Explore Black History through the Association for the Study of African American Life and History ( www.asalh.org ), the organization founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1915.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson is considered the Father of Black History. He received his high school diploma from Frederick Douglass High School in Huntington, West Virginia, in 1896, and returned four years later as principal. A statue of Dr. Woodson is located at 820 Hall Greer Blvd., in Huntington. About Dr. Woodson:

www.marshall.edu/woodsonlyceum/

Other Important Information

• Winners must complete paperwork for payments of the awards.
• Winners (including parents/guardians of minors) grant Marshall University permission for use of the winning essays in printed forms and online in various promotions.
• Winners are expected to attend the awards dinner at Marshall in February.

Upload Essay

Sorry, we are no longer taking contest entries. The deadline had been extended to January 26th at 11pm.

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Press Release

Florida Launches 2023 Black History Month Student and Educator Contests

Student essay contest winners will receive a 2-year florida college plan scholarship provided by the florida prepaid college foundation.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  — Today, the Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida officially launched the 2023 Black History Month student art and essay contests with the theme of  “Celebrating the Achievements of African American Floridians.”  These contests will run through Tuesday, February 7, 2023. Black History Month is celebrated each year in the month of February.

“African Americans have a long and proud history in our great state of Florida, and Black History Month is the perfect occasion to celebrate their many achievements,” said  Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr.  “Learning about African American achievements is central to learning about Florida and America itself. I have no doubt that this year’s art and essay contest submissions will be outstanding.”

"Florida goes the extra mile to recognize the immense and historical contributions of African Americans in our great state,"  said Volunteer Florida CEO Josie Tamayo.  "We are proud to offer this opportunity each year to recognize outstanding students and educators in Florida for their unique efforts and talents.”

First Lady DeSantis invites students to participate in academic and creative contests throughout the month. Students in grades K-3 can participate in an art contest, and students in grades 4-12 can participate in an essay contest. Additionally, students, parents, teachers, and principals are invited to nominate full-time educators of all student grades for the Black History Month Excellence in Education Award. About the Student Art Contest   Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Black History Month Art Contest is open to all kindergarten through third-grade students in Florida. Each student will submit original, two-dimensional artwork based on this year's theme. Four statewide winners will be selected, and each winner will receive a $100 art supplies gift card and a 1-year pass to Florida state parks.

About the Student Essay Contest Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Black History Month Essay Contest is open to all fourth through twelfth-grade students in Florida. Each student will submit one essay no longer than 500 words based on this year’s theme. Six winners will be selected: two elementary school students (grades 4–5), two middle school students (grades 6–8), and two high school students (grades 9–12). Each winner will receive a 2–year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and a $100 gift card for school supplies.

In the contest, students are encouraged to write about an African American who has had a notable effect on their community. The subject of the essay should be an African American Floridian. Some examples are:

• Secretary Shevaun Harris  –  Secretary at the Department of Children and Families since February 2021 after a nearly two-decade career at the Agency for Health Care Administration .  An innovator, spearheading the development of the State’s Canadian Prescription Drug Importation program. Served as an adjunct professor at the FSU College of Social Work and as a case manager at Big Bend Cares serving vulnerable Floridians.
• State Senator Corey Simon  –  Before being elected to the Florida State Senate in 2022, Simon served as the CEO of Volunteer Florida, coordinating volunteer efforts across state agencies. Simon played football at Florida State University under the legendary Coach Bobby Bowden before moving on to play in the NFL.
• Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs II  –   Born: September 28, 1821, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Died: August 14, 1874, Tallahassee, Florida. Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs II was a Presbyterian minister who served as Secretary of State and Superintendent of Public Instruction of Florida. He was the first black Secretary of State .
• Daniel “Chappie” James Jr.  –  Born: February 11, 1920, Pensacola, Florida. Died: February 25, 1978, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Air Force fighter pilot and first African American to reach the rank of Four-Star General in the U.S. military. Flew combat missions in Korea and Vietnam and instructed African American pilots during WW2.
• Alwyn Cashe  – Born:  July 13, 1970, Sanford, Florida. Died: November 8, 2005, San Antonio, Texas. U.S. Army non-commissioned officer and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor for his service in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Saved the lives of six of his fellow soldiers after the Bradley fighting vehicle they were riding in struck an improvised explosive device despite suffering second and third-degree burns over 72% of his body.
• James Weldon Johnson  –  Born: June 17, 1871, Jacksonville, Florida.  Died: June 26, 1938, Wiscasset, Maine. Writer, civil rights activist, and a leader of the NAACP. He wrote “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is known as the black national anthem.
• John G. Riley  –  Born into slavery in 1857 and died a millionaire in 1954. 49-year educator career at a school in Wakulla County and as principal of the Lincoln Academy. One of the few African Americans to own property at the turn of the century.
• The Florida Highwaymen  – A group of 26 African American landscape artists who painted from the 1950s to the 1980s. They became some of Florida’s most well-known painters and focused on images of the state’s natural treasures. Today, their work is displayed in prominent buildings throughout Florida, including the State Capitol and Governor’s Mansion.

About the Excellence in Education Award   Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Black History Month Excellence in Education Award Contest is open to all full-time educators in an elementary, middle, or high school in Florida. Four winners will be selected, and a principal, teacher, parent/guardian, or student may submit nominations. Excellence in Education award winners will receive $2,500 from Volunteer Florida. Contest Entries and Nominating Forms and Guidelines   Student contest forms and educator nomination forms must be mailed to Volunteer Florida or submitted online at  http://floridablackhistory.com/ Volunteer Florida   Black History Month Committee  1545 Raymond Diehl Road, Suite 250  Tallahassee, Florida 32308 All entries must be received by 5 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. If mailing, please consider the time necessary to ensure the submission is received by Volunteer Florida’s office no later than the aforementioned deadline. For more information about the contests, please visit  http://floridablackhistory.com/

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Watch CBS News

Black History Oratory Competition 2023: Read the essays

• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/live-updates/black-history-oratory-competition-2023-read-the-essays/ link copied

Updated on: February 20, 2023 / 11:00 AM EST / CBS Baltimore

The essays for WJZ's 2023 Black History Oratory Competition are in, and the Top 20 Finalists have been selected! 

The annual competition invites Maryland students in grades 9 through 12 to write an original essay of 500 words based on a prompt provided to them.

This year, participants were asked to choose one quote from the three listed below and explain in detail what it means to them:

"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom."  - George Washington Carver  

"Don't sit down and wait for opportunities to come…Get up and make them!"   – Madam C. J. Walker 

"Impossibilities are merely things of which we have not learned, or which we do not wish to happen."   – Charles W. Chesnutt  

The finalists were invited to perform their essays in person, in front of judges and an audience of family and friends. The speeches will be recorded and streamed online, in their entirety, on  CBS News Baltimore .

• Thursday, February 23rd at 8 p.m.
• Friday, February 24th at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, February 25th at 3 p.m.

Then the  winners will be announced on WJZ-TV, during WJZ's Black History Oratory Competition Special!

• Saturday, February 25th at 7 p.m.

Here are the prizes the winning students will receive:

• First place: $700 from WJZ, $2,500 from Walmart;
• Second place: $400 from WJZ, $1,500 from Walmart
• Third place: $200 from WJZ, $1,000 from Walmart

Read the essays below. They are listed in reverse alphabetical order by the finalists' names. 

Christian Wright, Mount St. Joseph High School

Age 17, Grade 12, Baltimore 

Education, Education, Education   

Education, knowledge, school. These words have been used interchangeably to tell me different things. Christian, you better make sure you get your education. Christian, knowledge is power. Christian, school is your ticket out of here. Christian, knowledge will never leave you. Christian, they aren't teaching you what you need for life. At that stage in life, I didn't want to hear about that, from either side of the spectrum. I just wanted to sit in my room, play the game, and relax, a privilege not afforded to everyone, especially to these adults when they were my age. My grandma only got her high school diploma and had to work grueling hours to provide for my mom and uncle. My mom had a similar situation. So, to have the ability to go beyond a high school education was considered by them to be a landmark and an achievement.  

I view it as such too. The fact that I'm going to be a first-generation college student still boggles my mind. It's also coming full circle considering that I want to become an educator because I didn't intend to be a teacher but, here I am. But, being an educator, it's not only teaching the curriculum, as all of my teachers can attest to, it's also about making a difference in the lives of their students. Educators give time and energy in order to make sure that their students are doing well and that wellness will lead to success in their future.  

I see this being the same way in a multitude of families: the past wanting better for the future, the elders wishing to see the young ones being better than them in every facet. After all, the elders and their elders have seen their right to education be stripped away. All of the laws passed, punishments dealt with, and pushback from those in power led them to believe that being educated was the ultimate slap in the face to those who deterred them. To be educated was to be liberated, liberated from the cage of conformity to what they wanted them to believe—freedom from the trap of thinking that you're less than others. The ability to choose who you are and what you want to be with no one telling you otherwise. 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/live-updates/black-history-oratory-competition-2023-read-the-essays/#post-update-00ba9109 link copied

Zariah Smithwick, Kenwood High School

Age 15, Grade 10, Baltimore 

Ann. This is the name of a little girl who's always known exactly what she wanted and went for it. She's always been optimistic about the future and sure that things would work out for her, and if they didn't she knew she had the plan to fall back on. As she got older things changed but her optimism was unwavering. No matter what obstacle fell on her path she knew she would find a way around it. Ann was confident that everything would fall into place and that all her dreams would become a reality.  

I am Ann. Zariah Ann Smithwick. Ever since I was a child I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be an actress and a model, but I also wanted to be an activist. I wanted to be a nurse, a teacher, and a dancer; until I didn't. It all became too much to consider. I felt as if I wanted too many things out of life. I fell out of love with everything I once wanted, and around that same time, the optimism that once powered me ran out. I became scared of the future and of all the things I didn't know. All the possibilities in life terrified me and I started thinking that anything that could go wrong, would go wrong. My fear left me unwilling to try and make things happen, leaving me in a state of hopelessness that I was somewhat contemptuous of being in.  

To me, the quote "Impossibilities are merely things of which we have not learned, or which we do not wish to happen" tells the story of everyone. It tells the story of a world that's scared. Scared that they'll fail and that all the bumps they've hit throughout their journey would have been for nothing. Scared that the future they've been planning was simply something of their imagination. Someone once told me that fear has no power unless you give it power. As you grow you will learn more about yourself, and about what you want to be. You will develop many passions, all of which are worthy to be pursued. You will go through many things that will temporarily hinder your destiny, however it is up to you to decide if you will allow it to permanently halt your future. Fear is strong, it's all consuming and can swallow you whole if you allow it, however the passion you have for the things you desire in life is always stronger.  

Ann. The name of a little girl who's grown up and in spite of all rough patches in her journey, has fallen in love with all the possibilities in life that once terrified her.  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/live-updates/black-history-oratory-competition-2023-read-the-essays/#post-update-19e5c9d9 link copied

Elon Raya, Catonsville High School

Age 17, Grade 11, Catonsville 

Free Like the Birds   

An enslaved man plows on a field. The scorching sun, blazing at its brightest and strongest, presses on him like the yoke he sees on the plowing oxen. His salty sweat drips from his brows down onto his cracked and open feet. Taking off his dusty and patchy straw hat, he looks up at the sky where a flock of birds flies in the distance. He doesn't know where they go or where they come from; he doesn't know the world outside. He doesn't know about the majestic plains that the birds fly across, and he doesn't know the golden sands of the east coast they soar above. He stares at them bound to his plow. 

George Washington Carver, an African American scientist said, "Education is the key to unlocking the golden gate of freedom."  Education is the tool by which we understand the realities of the world around us. An educated person understands themselves and their surroundings; they know what opportunities and risks lie in their path, and their imaginations are active to question and create. Before the abolishment of slavery, African Americans were deprived of any form of education by slave masters. Is it because education would make them unproductive? Fredrick Douglass stated that if you rob a man of his ability to learn, you have enslaved him. When people are deprived of education, they have little to imagine, create, and hope for. The lack of education leaves the mind oblivious to its bondage and incapable of creating, imagining, and hoping. An idle mind makes an ignorant person, and an ignorant person can't be free. Do you see the cycle? It is only when small whispers give an enslaved woman knowledge of the free north that she can seek the path to freedom. It is when oppressed people learn the ideologies of democracy that they can rise against their oppressors.  

My grandfather always told me, "Learning will make you whole." But I wasn't one to sit down and enjoy a book, so I never paid much attention to his long and repetitive lectures on the living room couch. Sitting on the edge of the sofa with his big thousand-pager book in hand as his reading glasses magnified his serious look, he poured out this life lesson. Why he consistently encouraged me became clearer as I grew older. Growing up the son of a farmer in the undeveloped countryside of Ethiopia, he built a loving home and noble reputation through the help of God and his family. He knows that his relentless devotion to study helped him become a doctor and provide for his family. In the pages of many books and countless hours of learning, he found the tools he needed to break free from the shackles of poverty, fear, and ignorance. 

Education is our most potent weapon against the oppression of the mind and body. So, grab a book, learn a new skill, create, and explore the world. By any means, always educate yourself.  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/live-updates/black-history-oratory-competition-2023-read-the-essays/#post-update-7a6edabb link copied

Favour Ogedengbe, Eastern Technical High School

Age 16, Grade 11, Essex

FEAR. Fear in its definition is a feeling, an emotion, a belief that can so easily destroy dreams, visions and if unaltered, destroy lives. It is a testimony for many successful people today to have pushed past fear, to just do it. If fear can have this much of a stronghold on us humans, then maybe it's more than just a feeling; it has a root. Maybe it has now become a habit, a habit strengthened by our words, our mindset, our heart posture. These habits begotten from fear now beget ACTIONS. Fear creates limited actions, subtle actions, infallible actions that cause us no pain or sacrifice to make. 

Instead of destroying fear, people get in the habit of making fear a personality. Society, especially the youth, has painted a canvas of pride due to the insecurities, the comparison that has been made prominent in our generation. "Be yourself and don't change yourself for anyone," that's good but there's more to "who you are" and people who convey this motive are often befuddled, not recognizing the difference between a clone and a person who is simply- inspired. And so this fear is boxed up in isolation and comfort, we never want to feel like we are incapable; fear of failure, we want to stay in the place where everything works; the comfort zone. Oh no, the danger zone. Nothing fails so we never learn, we don't fall, so we never rise.

Fear can even be inherited, generations after generations carry on this nature. I mean even young children, without being taught, have a fear of, "I can't do it," "they're gonna laugh at me". When we look at the parents, there is a pattern here, personalities and traits are passed down to our descendants, that's why children act like their parents. We live our lives and forget to deal with these habits, to deal with these fears, these traits. Because the children look at parents with a lens of inspiration, they have to suffer the burden of fighting the battle against fear. Madam C.J. Walker's authoritative tone pushes me to push past fear, she says "Don't sit down and wait for opportunities to come…Get up and make them!". The truth is preparation will always pave the way for opportunity. Yes, you may not have all you want, and the cycle keeps duplicating day after day but there's always something to do in every season. If you're waiting, locate an inspiration, be inspired. 

DEFEAT FEAR NOW! Defeat Fear because if the opportunities come and fear still presides, opportunities will seem inferior. Defeat fear so it doesn't defeat opportunities. While people are up and about doing things to survive, but more than surviving, the true pride is in what we do to "thrive." Listen, If we live our lives through the meniscus lens of the failures, the mistakes, the trials of our ancestors, we'll never be able to take hold of our own destiny  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/live-updates/black-history-oratory-competition-2023-read-the-essays/#post-update-f0822c02 link copied

James Obasiolu, Atholton High School

Age 15, Grade 10, Columbia

I want you to think back to the time you received your first house key; the unparalleled sense of independence & freedom it brought. Whether you were a teenager that could now go home whenever you pleased or an adult renting your first house, you knew that you had a safe place to call home. "Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom," as George Washington Carver so eloquently stated. For many Black Americans, however, this has not always been the case. Historically, they've been denied access to education and the opportunities that come with it. For education to truly be a key, it must be accessible and equitable for all and allow them to unlock their full potential. 

Terms like "equality" and "equity" are often used interchangeably; while equality gives everyone the same resources, equity recognizes everyone has different circumstances and ensures everyone has the resources they need to succeed. In the 1960s, Carver's quote would have been a call for integration, as seen with Ruby Bridges, who became the first African-American student to integrate. Today it means making schools more equitable. This includes providing counseling services, a support system of black authors and educators, and a curriculum that reflects the heritage and experiences of all students. These resources are crucial for students to be academically successful. Without them, the Jim Crow era of Black students, like Bridges, faced immense challenges in their pursuit of education.

These disparities are still very prevalent today. Just 20 minutes apart, Howard County and Baltimore City have vastly different post-graduate statistics. According to the 2018 Census, 60% of Howard County students went on to graduate college, while only 28.6% of Baltimore City students graduated college. Howard County students aren't inherently smarter or harder working, but they have access to better opportunities and higher-performing schools, which provide students with a more well-rounded education. 

Meanwhile, Baltimore City schools are underfunded, have higher student-teacher ratios, and lack access to the resources needed for students to succeed. They also have more metal detectors and law enforcement, which negatively impacts students' mental and emotional well-being, perpetuating the idea that students of color are inherently dangerous and need to be policed. All of these create a hostile and criminalizing environment for students of color, making it harder for them to receive an equitable education. 

For education to truly be a key, we must work towards equity. This means hiring more black teachers, mandating Black history and ethnic studies in the K-12 curriculum, and funding counselors, not school resource officers. Carver wanted everyone to have a key; now, we live in a time where people have keys but don't have houses or golden doors to walk through. We have to meet people where they are—not just hand out keys, but guarantee that every student, regardless of their background, has access to these doors. We must strive to create a world where everyone can access the golden door of freedom: where systemic barriers and discrimination cannot hinder them.  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/live-updates/black-history-oratory-competition-2023-read-the-essays/#post-update-f716f7b6 link copied

Mahlet Nigussu, Perry Hall High School

Age 16, Grade 11, Baltimore 

Education is power. Education is change. Education is priceless. And in the words of George Washington Carver, "education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom." Carver was an agricultural scientist and inventor. In 1894, he became the first African American to earn a Bachelor of Science degree, opening an entire world of opportunities not only for himself in his career, but for all other African Americans with dreams they had previously been told they could not achieve. 

In the 21st century, our generation has access to more knowledge than ever before. With social media, the internet, free public libraries, and so many more resources, there is great power at our fingerprints. But what matters the most is what we do with it. Education is not simply about absorbing all the information our heads can carry, but using that knowledge to make a positive change, no matter how big or small. That is how we use it to unlock that golden door of freedom. Use what you learn to find a passion and pursue it, use it to give yourself a seat at every table you have been kept from, and to open every door that has been locked to you.

Since seizing power last year, the Taliban has instituted a total ban on women and girls' education in Afghanistan. Until 1954, schools in the US were segregated, separating African American students from white ones, and preventing black students from receiving a quality education. During the 18th and 19th centuries, slaves were kept from learning to read and write as owners feared black literacy would threaten the slave system. If education was frivolous and its effects minuscule, why have those in power, that have it, made such an effort to prevent marginalized groups from receiving it? That is because education has the power to transform a person's life, mindset, and behavior. A complete and quality education can free a person from the mindset of "I can't" because it guarantees that you can. 

When you think of education, what comes to mind? A classroom? A teacher? A group of students? The truth is that education flows beyond the classroom walls. Education is never ending; you should never stop learning. You learn when you try new foods, you learn when you take risks and make mistakes. You can learn about the countries of the world, read books that interest you, learn new recipes, and observe and learn from the natural world around you. Learning happens when we do not fear or turn away from what we do not know, but instead, we embrace it and use it to grow and to continue opening those golden doors of freedom  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/live-updates/black-history-oratory-competition-2023-read-the-essays/#post-update-fd0f014d link copied

Jaxson Metzbower, Hereford High School

Age 17, Grade 12, Cockeysville 

I ask you three simple questions. Did the great leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. simply sit back and allow for the oppression of African Americans to perpetuate in our nation? — No, King masterfully delivered what is regarded as the most impactful and recognizable speeches in American history with his "I Have a Dream" speech. King spoke in the height of the civil Rights movement which directly undermined the oppression he faced. Did former President Barack Obama wait for another to become the first African American president? — No, Obama became the first black president to be elected in the United States in 2008. Did Madam C.J. Walker fail to act upon her desires of being a successful businesswoman? — No, Walker followed her dreams of entrepreneurship through women's hair products and became the first African American woman to accumulate a net worth over 1 million dollars despite being born into a family of sharecroppers. Her actions allowed countless others facing systemic issues in our nation to flourish. Madam C.J. Walker stated, "Don't sit down and wait for opportunities to come...Get up and make them!" These three inspirational leaders created their own opportunities despite the blatant sociological disadvantages that are deeply rooted in American society. Without these trailblazers taking charge and creating their own opportunities, our world as we know it would be a desolate and toxic wasteland lacking the possibility for anyone regardless of race, religion, or gender to make their own opportunities and better our society. It is paramount that we draw inspiration from the forementioned leaders and connect their willingness to take unprecedented initiatives to our own lives.

Opportunities to create and inspire a thriving sense of change and long-lasting impact are only achievable if direct action is taken by the beholder of said opportunity. Changes stemming from opportunities that an individual creates on their own can have implications on increased value of self and community. I have witnessed the advantageous impact that developing my own opportunities has had on myself and others. 

Last February I attended what would become my first of many meetings at my school's Black Excellence Club. I can admit that I was hesitant to attend the meeting at first; however, I was confident that I wanted to create a positive impact on my school's environment in a world that often lacks empathy and understanding. As a result of attending that meeting, I realized the bright spot of hope and inspiration that I could provide in my school through the promotion of diversity, equity, and equality. I had the chance to become the club secretary later in the year, which I graciously accepted. This one decision to put myself out there and create my own opportunity led to a multifaceted array of benefits. 

It is imperative as a society that we create our own opportunities and follow in the footsteps of Madam C.J. Walker and other leaders who have defined themselves through the opportunities they created. So, take charge and see the difference you make.  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/live-updates/black-history-oratory-competition-2023-read-the-essays/#post-update-38d93a57 link copied

McKenzie Lea, Catonsville High School

Age 16, Grade 10, Catonsville 

Dear Mr. Ambiguous Racist Opportunity

A pandemic plague has erect 

Albert Einstein sai we conclude that love is the most powerful force because it has no limits

Imagine a world where love was infiite 

Don't sit around and wait to be a bystander in Black America

I pledge allegiance to the flag of warfare, distraught, bloodshed, massacre and hostility

How is it that you've still disunited our nation in 2023 with antagonism, deceit and strife 

One life despite the reckoning, disparity, md where our words aim like pistol bullets

Eric Garner 1 

Say there name 

All lives matter

Your life matters

His life matters 

Why does my skin matter - 

are still captive like slaves to their skin xolor

Why do these unseeingly curls puff out like

Why are my lips shaped the way they are

How many pages do we need to turn 

To start a new chapter 

I can't breathe

George Floyd 2 

Slavery was that chapter abolished - in the headlines - the truth is - venom only breeds police brutality and hasslement of dogs

Manuel Ellis 3

She can't breathe

Breonna Taylor 4

Jeanette Williams 5 

I can't breathe 

Say there names 

Clashed into a ceasefire- ignited flames of hatred and malice with vengeful authority

You didn't let me have the last sip of iced water instead you raped us 

You cleched your hands around our necks

every breath we breathed and yet -

We still can't beathe 

Down the street 

I'm the Car

He can't breathe 

In the schools 

They can't breathe

At the workplace 

You drill the same name into our heads

Year by, year by, year by year

Decade by decade 

Malcolm X 6

Martin Luther King 7

Hariet Tubman 8

Rosa Parks 9

Try and imagine having an important debate where unity ifs evident outside political rhetoric by racism and hate instead of unity and disgrace

Instead, embrace with grace  

The fondness of the intimacy of friendliness 

And still, I can't breathe

You can't build what you've aready destructed in corruption in chained mental bob wire

Hidden figures in the intoxicated lunacy 

10 before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, a black 15 year old girl names Claudette Colvin did the same thing 

Yet don't let just sit and wait on an opportunity

Will Smith said that Racism isn't getting worse it's just getting filmed 

Over and over again

They say repetition is the definition of insanity the morality of the vitality of red, white and blue

The calamity of the hospitality, industrialized by a nation of irrationality 

The blame the blacks or the smaller ethical group saying they caused a crusade slamming the doors of

Diversity bit by bit, everything whole is alienated, white is the new black - our congregation isn't congruent to the progression we move backward within our society - regression - 

11 The practice of vaccinations was brought to America by a slave. 

Do hurl and juke vile ponderous departure of genocide

Obliterated liberation of radicalism 

Emmett Till 12

13 Travon Martin

Bille Holiday 14

15 Bob Marley 

I can't breathe in sovereignty and emancipation unyoking 

manumission

The feeblest diversified crusade paralyzed and immobilized in lynching a suitable latitude of possibilities 

Distraught in dismantles disestablished disarray of epidemical waves of vigilance 

Warfare and savagery of bloody genocide 

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Lillian Green, Baltimore City College High School

Age 16, Grade 10, Baltimore 

Education is more than the key to freedom, it is freedom in itself. George Washington Carver, an 1890s African American Agricultural Scientist once said that "Education is the key to the golden door of freedom". We are not only able to be moved by his words, but by his story, which I wish I had time to tell.  

Taking a page out of Carver's book, I too believe that education is critical, not only for myself but for the legacy I will leave. This quote metaphorically exemplifies the sheer power that knowledge holds within it, how it opens doors, and to me, how the hunger for learning is a driving force in my life, and in everyone else's. Growing up as a black girl, I have had my fair share of doubts surrounding my relationship with intelligence, however, I have always found my education to be more than important. Since I could remember, my father has always called and introduced me as a "critical thinker" to anyone who would listen. As I look back on how I have been looked at and viewed in places of education, I notice a trend, surprise. For example, I notice surprise from anyone who hears me speak, as they make assumptions about my dialect, accent, and vocabulary, before I open my mouth, because of the color of my skin. I hear my white teachers tell my mother how "articulate" I am because obviously speaking well is not common for people who look like me. I hear my peers tell me that I am less black for speaking "properly" and I wonder, who decided what was proper and what was not, and why using slang held to this standard, because of course it is associated with black people. And finally, I hear a girl in my freshman year English class say "You really have that?" when pertaining to my good grades, yet here I am having them. I hear the surprise in all of their voices, and see it in their faces when I am able to tell them about classical music, or when I can analyze literature fully, and in detail. And truth be told, I love this surprise, I love the shock because I love using my smarts to show people that black people can do anything that anyone else can, and more, I love to break down their ignorance with my knowledge, and the power that it holds, a power that they do not expect anyone who looks like me to hold; but we do, and we wield it well.  

In closing, my education has gotten me many places and has granted me opportunities like excelling in an IB world school, and in my future, I know that it will take me even further. I have learned to draw my power from the knowledge that my ancestors held, the knowledge that I hold, and the knowledge that generations of black thinkers will uphold after me. 

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Ashanti Gillis, Towson High School

Age 15, Grade 9, Owings Mills 

Nothing is truly impossible. When we rethink the word "impossible," we can reframe it as "I'm possible." What makes anything impossible is your mindset. Mindset is the powerhouse of life. Your mindset controls your thoughts, feelings and actions in everyday life. Knowledge is power. The power to learn, grow and change comes from within. As a society, we need to be more accepting and accommodating of people and change. To increase our knowledge and understanding, we have to be willing to conduct our own research to learn about our growing world. This is essential for us to be good global citizens. The only reason racism, ableism, all of those ISMs exist is because people refuse to accept and treat all people with the same dignity and respect with which they wish to be treated. As humans, we share approximately 99% percent of the same DNA; only 1 percent makes us different. 

As a little girl, at just 2 or 3 years old, I knew that I was different. As I grew and prospered, I knew this was a blessing. I knew I wasn't a burden but a gift. To be black and blind is an impossibly beautiful combination. Growing and understanding more about myself, I realized that I have the power to help facilitate the change that I want to see in the world. Educating people about disabilities, especially visual impairment and blindness, is something I must do, even as I obtain my own education. Learning and education are my passions, and through my passions, I am able to help others as well. To help others with their learning, I have been a guest speaker sharing my experiences on the topic of visual impairment and blindness to teachers in the BCPS system attending graduate classes at a local university. 

My love and passion for education is something that has developed over time. Even though I have little to no sight, I have always had a vision for my life. I aspire to impossible things. I fight every day to realize Ashanti Gillis my vision and my acceptance in a sighted world. At times, I feel that this sighted world was never made ready for my arrival. With the love, care and support of my family and a few dedicated teachers throughout the years, I have been educated in a typical school environment. I am proud to say that I have helped others to see beyond their original thinking about people with disabilities and evolve their understanding. Learning and understanding are the keys to impossible change. 

My goal is to be successful in anything that I desire. To reach my goal, I need people to not judge me because of the way I am. I need people to understand and remember that if someone has a disability, that doesn't mean they can't accomplish anything they desire. Pursue impossible dreams! I do!  

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Fofona Flematu, Liberty High School

Age 16, Grade 11, Sykesville 

By measurable statistics, I am not meant to succeed. Some claim that life is a game of chance; but, its tricks and traps cause some to rise, and others to fall. The luck of the draw dictates my hand, preventing the intelligence card, the degree card, and the high-income card from being dealt to me. These crude probabilities weigh my heart down as my hand holding a losing deal falters. My poor outlook soon becomes exasperated by the cards I, an African woman, should be dealt: the husband card, the child card, the poverty card, and the inferior card; My attempts in vain as my golden air-tight door seals shut. 

As a black woman, my preferred characteristics for my carefully constructed identity are constantly decimated by those that are expected to be appropriated. When the crumpling weight of these odds flatten my mangled personality like a punch press; a realization hits me–the only thing that allows me to reconstruct myself is what I can control, my education. As I advance in knowledge, my winning chances increase, and my air-tight door can slowly nudge open. My faltering hand now steady, I'm able to re-assess my strategy and continue forward.  

When looking at what's seen as "success stories" we often examine those who've made a name for themselves in the history books, such as Mary McLeod Bethune. Creating schools for black children, not only was she able to educate herself but others as well; however, it's also important to examine those whose pages in history were never discovered. 

My grandmother Flematu Turay was a radiant Madinkan. Her robust build from trying days on the rice farms showcased how painstakingly diligent she was. During her game, a tough hand was given: a mother of seven, married at 14, and illiterate. Her golden door was shackled by the disadvantageous rules put in place. But that wouldn't stop her, her hands grew coarser through the threshing and cleaning, her back sorer from the haul drying and fielding. In the name of love, the name of knowledge, she gathered enough funds to educate all children, increasing their winning chances. As each child drew a degree card, a stiff chain rusted.  

A generation later, I contain quite the adequate hand: the literacy card, the intelligence card, and soon the diploma card will be added to my arsenal. But none of these would have even grazed me if it weren't for those who came before me.  

Whilst Bethune and my grandmother couldn't reach their full potential due to the unfair laws restricting them, their hard work allows others to have the opportunity to do so. Their contributions created pathways for them, and chances increase. The door becomes lighter, shackles are lifted, and greatness is achieved. 

As the wins pile up, the odds will soon be in our favor, and what was once a door, will turn into a walkway. The golden rays will shine on our faces and a game of chance will be a game of gain. 

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Lily Espinoza, Hereford High School

Age 17, Grade 12, Freeland

Education is a key component for everyone's future. All throughout middle school and high school teachers and parents talk about how important focusing on school is. I knew my education would play a role in my future, but I never realized how far my college education and the connections I will make could take me in my future. George Carver said, "Education is key to unlock the golden door of freedom". Since entering high school and joining AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, I have come to understand how important my education is for me.

Carver refers to education as a key to unlocking your freedom because of the possibilities and opportunities having an education will provide you. Someone who understands the importance of education is Michelle Obama, who is an education activist for girls around the world. Michelle and Barack Obama launched "Let Girls Learn" in order to educate girls around the world. There are currently 62 million girls around the world who aren't in school and half of them are adolescents. Countries with more girls in secondary schools have "lower maternal mortality rates, lower infant mortality rates, lower rates of HIV/AIDS, and better child nutrition." The positives from educating girls are significant pieces to healthier communities and countries. Others have joined Michelle in the fight for education, like Priyanka Jonas, Rihanna, Angelina Jolie and many others. Along with the girls around the world who need an education, I have started to take my education more seriously. Since joining AVID I have been more self­ motivated to learn and succeed in school. I have been getting better grades, managed schoolwork with dance, clubs and honor societies and been accepted into colleges and received money for my grades. I have not even started my college career and I am already noticing the positive impacts my education has brought me.

Once I am in college, I plan to further my education by studying abroad and getting an internship. With my knowledge and experience, I will be able to unlock my golden door and have the freedom to choose my future path in life. Carver understood the possibilities of education and now has several schools that were opened in his honor. Caiver helped grow education and many celebrities and influential people are following in his footsteps. By growing the population of people who complete high school, go to college and get a job, we will be bette1ing people's lives and America's economy. \Vi.th an education, more people will be employed, have homes and grow stable families in order to continue in the cycle of life. With education, the possibilities are endless, your future is up to you with the freedom education gives you.

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Shane Elliott, Loyola Blakefield High School

Age 18, Grade 12, White Hall

Everything is impossible until it isn't. The workings of the world today as we know it would be thought largely impossible by almost anyone 150 years ago. The human mind is constantly learning and adapting, daring to accomplish any challenge or feat that does not seem possible to the majority but is achievable by the efforts of a few. The possibility of anything is described by Charles W. Chesnutt in his famous quote, "Impossibilities are merely things of which we have not learned, or which we do not wish to happen."  

Charles W. Chesnutt was an American author and a political activist for people of color in the post-Civil War South. Chesnutt advocated for equality for African Americans in America during a time when black people were treated as less than human by the majority of society. He was known for his writings that explored the complexities of race and identity in the United States, particularly in the South. Chesnutt was proof that things could change, as few people, compared to the many, worked towards a goal, considered impossible by most of America. Chesnutt said that impossibilities are things that we do not wish to happen. The problem of racism doesn't require an extravagant solution that involves futuristic technology or a genius game plan. It was and still is a matter of simple will. A unified society can be made possible if people are willing to change and educate themselves on matters of race, and other cultures. Chesnutt and other activists who were committed to ending racism and providing insight into racial discrimination, imposed their will on many people through their works and movements, contributing to the improvement of acceptance and unity today. A task that seemed impossible post-Civil War now seems like an attainable reality. In a society that prides itself on holding people accountable for their mistakes, we are responsible for eliminating racism and prejudice that discriminates against all minority groups.  

An example in my life of something seemingly impossible, becoming possible, was during the 101st Turkey Bowl during my junior football season. Our opponents at Calvert Hall were seemingly the more talented players. Nobody believed in us, and when I say nobody, I mean nobody. There was not a soul outside of our locker room that was confident that our Loyola football team would win the game. My own mom hinted at her doubts about our ability to secure a victory. Honestly, that was very hurtful, but I didn't blame her. We ended up winning the game (which was an instant classic) in dramatic fashion, shocking our community. The win was a product of the hard work we put in all year, and the sacrifices we all made for our team's success. There is no victory without sacrifice.   

Chesnutt was an important figure in the African American community, using his platform to advocate for racial equality and social justice. His writings and speeches helped to inspire generations of activists and writers who continue to work toward racial equality today, making yesterday's impossibilities, today's possibilities.  

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Jaiden Elbert, Loyola Blakefield High School

Age 14, Grade 9, Reisterstown

Seizing Your Opportunity   

If you had one moment, one opportunity, one shot, to make a lasting impact or to change your life, would you take it?  If the day you had been waiting for your entire life arrived at the doorstep of opportunity, would you practice carpe diem and snatch it from the air, or would you watch it disappear like a shooting star in the night?  In the words of the great pioneer, Madam C.J. Walker, don't wait for opportunity to knock on your door, go out and make your own opportunities.  Seizing your opportunities is the initial step in identifying the gift and potential that lies inside of you and carving out your future path. 

Since I was a young child, I have been told that I had a gift for public speaking; that my delivery and presentation was extraordinary and I should take every opportunity to hone my craft.  Although I enjoyed public speaking, I oftentimes waited for others to ask me to speak rather than stepping forward to utilize my gift.  Thus, waiting for opportunities to present themselves rather than making my own.    

I recall when I received the invitation to speak at the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast sponsored by Morgan State University as the "Catch A Rising Star" youth speaker.  Although I was only ten years old at the time and had such trepidation about this honor, I decided, even at my young age, to seize this opportunity and not allow it to pass me by.  I was nominated for this speaking honor by my church family based on my numerous speaking engagements at the church.  I realized that by volunteering to speak at my church, I was seizing the day to fulfill my gift and not waiting for it to just fall in my lap.  I was, in essence, making my own opportunity to carve out my future path. The keynote speaker was so impressed with my gift that he wanted to invest in my future and presented me with a substantial monetary award.  Had I hesitated and not taken the initiative to seize this opportunity, I would have missed this moment; I would not have created my own destiny.      

As I embark on my high school career, I will hold Madam C.J. Walker's quote close to my heart and rely on her words as I blaze my own path, creating my own trail.  I will continue to stand firmly on my faith and believe that if I ask, it shall be given; if I knock, the door shall be opened.   

So, my question to you is this:  If you had one moment, one opportunity, one shot to make a lasting impact or to change your life, would you take it?   

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Joseph Crist, Mount St. Joseph High School

Age 18, Grade 12, Finksburg 

Change is inevitable yet still so feared. Without it, all of our tomorrows will be the same and a quality that is indispensable to being human will be lost. After all, humans are the most incredible change-makers and if a difference is made it was undoubtedly because of a change someone made. Icons whose names bring with them a legacy, all owe their notoriety to a change they made. Frederick Douglas went from an illiterate slave to not only a free man but also an author and prominent abolitionist; he made a change that once seemed impossible. Malcolm X became a man of faith and authority, while in prison; he made a change when it once seemed impossible. While standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a prophetic speech about the future of race in America to an audience of nearly 250,000; he made a change where it once seemed impossible. It is overwhelmingly clear then, that Charles W. Chesnutt was right: "Impossibilities are merely things of which we have not learned, or which we do not wish to happen." Personal liberty was only impossible until Fredrick Douglas learned that it did not have to be the way it was. It was only impossible for a black man to read until he made a change within himself and began his journey. Today, people are mentally imprisoned by what they view as impossible. No person is too small nor act too minuscule to be worth something in the pursuit of real change. Malcolm X, through his words and actions, set an expectation of personal ownership and honesty for not only himself but also the millions that his story has reached. His is a story of self-determinism and the benefits that come with knowing one's self and the potential stored within. He understood the value of self-investment and was able to reap the compounding output that goes along with it. As John E. Lewis began: "If not us, then who? If not now, then when?" Martin Luther King Jr. would continue: If not here then where? Congruent with his belief that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," King would argue that there is no perfect place to begin something new. Despite all of the work of pioneers and visionaries, there still isn't a perfect time, place, or way to make a change. All that has ever mattered was that it happened. If the butterfly effect can work in the past, why can it not work in the future? What small change can be made today that will alter not only the future of one person but the future of many? What is impossible today that will be done tomorrow?   

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Fabiana Cannella, Maryvale Prepratory School

Age 16, Grade 10, Parkville

"Don't sit down and wait for opportunities to come... get up and make them! (Madam C.J. Walker)" This quote touches my heart. It is stating that if you stay seated and don't get up, whatever you want to happen, will never come. I personally relate this quote to depression. My depression felt like constant loneliness, feeling empty, numb, drained, tired all of the time, and never having any motivation, etc. Depression can begin with no explanation, or cause. However, for myself, I believe that my depression is rooted from trauma. When I was fourteen, within the same week, I was sexually assaulted, lost my grandfather, my best friend, and my sister moved away to college. As a result, I spiraled into an all-consuming depression that robbed me of my happiness.

I pushed my emotions to the side and avoided them as much as possible, because I didn't know how to cope. Sinking deeper into my bed, my negative thoughts dominated my mind. My bedroom became my safe space and I didn't want to leave, because I didn't want to go out and face my problems.

I decided that my depression wouldn't win; I decided I was going to get me back. I started with baby steps. I journaled everyday, meditated, went on walks outside, found some hobbies, reconnected with friends, and made sure that I got out and socialized with the people who lifted my spirits. I made sure that I had a routine, at night, an hour before bed I would shut my phone off and read motivational books. If you push yourself to go beyond your comfort zone and intentionally work hard, you will begin to notice a positive transformation of your life. It's okay to cry and sit around for a little, to allow yourself to feel, but don't stay there too long, get up and go on with your life. You can imagine your dream life, but how amazing would it feel if that dream you are dreaming becomes your reality!

Changing your mindset is the first step in overcoming life's challenges. I began to see my setbacks as lessons! As Madam CJ Walker reminds us, the first step in making a change for yourself is getting up and moving forward. I took her words to heart and am now the best version of myself, and have achieved things I didn't think would be possible.

I locked away the man who assaulted me, and I wrote a victim impact statement, and spoke it in court. I am now an advocate for other women who are suffering from a similar experience, and I help them have the courage to take things to court. I choregraphed dances about depression and sexual assault to spread awarness. I am happy and healthy, and you can be too, if you get up and make it happen!

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Nia Bryant, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology

My leap of faith.  .

The success of a Black woman is a threat. Being an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist, all threats seen by many. Often targeted, I began to ask myself, "How have Black women persistently defeated the odds? How has the courage of Madam C.J Walker led her to become America's first African-American self-made millionaire?" Self. Made. Millionaire. Walker asserted, "Don't sit down and wait for opportunities to come. … Get up and make them". Walker's journey was to overcome the stereotype and perpetuation of fruitless Black women, incessantly disregarded, apprehensively dated centuries posterior, and fabricated into a mockery. 

Becoming America's first African American self-made millionaire was not effortless. It wasn't given as a token for an exquisite 'American Dream'. Breaking those barriers in a male-dominated industry became a struggle. Walker's drive is what led her to well-deserved success. Before Madam C.J Walker became who she is remembered as today, she was born Sarah Breedlove. Sarah was an enslaved African American, once an orphan, a teen mom, and a widow at 20. Against the odds, Sarah persevered, leading me to think "How have Black women persistently defeated the odds?" The simple answer would be the inevitable ability that Black women have, including myself, of supporting each other and recognizing lack of unity. This, Madam C.J Walker, believed wholeheartedly, but the full ride of success wasn't free. While building her business from the ground up, community was at heart. Specifically, catering to African Americans who suffered from hair loss, her products began business in 1906. Walker created a platform for African Americans to care for our hair, skin, and health. 

The perception of Black success is often ruled unattainable. The idea of a Black person succeeding in the early 1900s was game-changing. The misconception prevailed, creating a route of a superficial apprehension of an African-dominated society. Too often we see Black businesses struggling; in fact, over 41% of small Black-owned businesses say finances, debt, and health care, doubled in 2022 alone, causing a halt to Black businesses experiencing success. However, these trials have not only taught us to become stronger but to strive and reach the climax of what seems to be unattainable. I understand firsthand as a young Black woman, entrepreneur, and student, pursuing a photography business how demanding it can be. I've come to a deep understanding with myself, believing that I can do anything I set my heart to, despite all of the reasons why I could fail. I took that leap of faith. I got up and made my own opportunities. 

As I conclude, I ask my question again; How have Black women persistently defeated the odds? The answer is simple: under many folds of blood, sweat, and tears. The passion we hold in anything we do is truly indescribable. Many people will never have the patience, tenacity, and mindset that we hold. Believing and taking that leap of faith you've been contemplating will overcome stereotypes made against us. 

For this I thank Madam C.J Walker  

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Dwarakesh Baraneetharan, Northwest High School

Age 16, Grade 11, Germantown 

George Washington Carver once said that "Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom." While true, the keys and doors are actually multiple, freedom a multi-level building with incremental levels separated by doors. As you acquire more education, you receive keys to unlock higher levels, gaining eligibility for opportunity. Of course, people aspire to reach different degrees of freedom. Some aspire to have the freedom to possess a lavish lifestyle, while others may aspire to escape poverty. Education is key in both scenarios. 

My father grew up in a stereotypical, primitive third world village. The area possesses immense natural beauty. All shades of green, from lime to olive, present themselves simultaneously in the form of diverse trees and shrubbery. Animals chitter and chatter boisterously. This teeming flora and fauna is the manifestation of the village being overlooked by time, left unsullied. 

This same untouched nature was behind the village's major flaw: it was primitive in all aspects. This caused issues at least thrice a year, when monstrous storms would bombard the village, bringing an onslaught of aggressive winds, heavy flooding, and torrential rain. Even worse, the effects of the storms would be amplified by the village's remoteness, which amplified the villagers' suffering.

From a young age, my father knew he had to leave this village someday. While he enjoyed the bucolic beauty, he knew that life here was a dead end. Thus, he continued to commute the 15 miles to the government school in town every day on his father's old bicycle. At home, he literally burnt the midnight oil, studying and even sleeping below oil street lamps. This hard work paid off after high school: my father received a full scholarship for physics due to his impeccable test scores. This set in motion a chain of events that culminated in the poor boy from a tiny village receiving a specialized work VISA to enter the US. Education, as always, had done it: it had not only given him the keys to escape poverty, but also to the higher level of freedom to live and work in the United States. 

The thing is, my father unlocked those levels of freedom for his family as well. My father, born in a developing country, started his life in the "basement" of freedom, just barely having the freedom to acquire an education. Due to his tireless efforts, I was fortunate enough to start off well above ground in the building of freedom, here in the United States. While I may not have access to the best educational opportunities, I plan to use what I have to the fullest, just like my father did. I already know that I aspire to reach the level of freedom to be able to give my children even more opportunities than I had so that they may go on to unlock even more levels. Just like my father did, I will utilize education to unlock more levels of freedom for me and my family  

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Charan Bala, River Hill High School

Age 15, Grade 10, Clarksville

Education is often synonymous with school. But, it's much more than that. Education is learning more about the world around you. I believe that education can not only help us discover ourselves, but it can allow us to help others. 

Today, we live in a world of distraction. It's become nearly impossible to live a meaningful life when we have the instant gratifications of endless scrolling, seconds-long videos, and constant buzzing notifications. I believe that we've all become too consumed with digital content that we've completely lost touch with who we are. George Washington Carver once said, "Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom." By educating ourselves, and especially reading, we can all become more intune with ourselves. The way I see it, our addiction to modern technology has caused us to become confined to its grasp. By understanding more about the world and ourselves, we can free ourselves and live a happier life. 

Many of us around the world live in ignorance - whether we know it or not. When we don't learn about other people's struggles, we allow them to keep struggling. We allow them to keep getting hurt. Indifference produces the same outcome as actively hurting because both continue the plight of another person. By educating ourselves on other people's struggles, we can break through the door of indifference that prevents us from helping them. But, by staying uneducated, we also force the people struggling to be confined to that struggle. By educating ourselves and helping them, we can unlock the golden door of freedom for them too. Oftentimes, exposing ourselves to new cultures and information can be very uncomfortable. However, for us to be more empathetic, it is quite necessary. So, my message to you is to learn about others' problems. Read about other people's struggles. Ask them and inquire about their problems so that you can help them. Because, by not knowing, you are not helping.  

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Tulika Ahuja, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology

The wings of life.

There are two types of people in this world, literal and philosophical ones. Each has their distinct qualities, but the combination of the two can create wonders. A quote written by George Washington Carver is, "Education is the key to unlocking the golden door of freedom." In society, school systems have put emphasis on attaining an education to be successful in life. Students are taught to get good grades, go to good colleges, and find stable jobs to support themselves. That can be seen as success from an objective standpoint, however, Carver brings up a new perspective. He describes how education isn't just about where you end up, it's the journey that it takes you along and being able to unlock new abilities as you understand the real meaning of existence. The ability to grow, from a tiny seed to a tree filled with networks, allows you the liberty to own your successes and your life. Freedom is based on your perspective of freedom and what it allows you to do in your life. A good education can help start one's journey but it's up to the will of the person to finish that journey and accomplish as much as their heart desires. The foundations of learning create an eagerness to pursue one's interests and develop the skills which will help accomplish one's goals. Now literally, your life is based on what you do with it and how you use your knowledge and skills. Life is like a bird, you can either use your wings to fly or you can wait on the top of a tree, in a warm cozy nest, while the other birds fetch supper. Each choice has its potential but ultimately, it's you who will carry out the courses of life, while education is a steppingstone to the impossible. One can imagine that education has no limits. In life, there are no impossibilities when one has the courage and resources. Learning is the same, there aren't boundaries, but adopting the right mindset can lead you to the freedom of eternity.    

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Torres: So, who are your heroes? | Opinion

When I was a kid I threw the word "hero" around a lot. I had sports "heroes," music "heroes," acting "heroes."

And then there were real-life heroes, like Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King Jr. or Ghandi.

But as I got older, I learned about the flaws in the people I had put on pedestals. They became less important. Plus, that Gordon Lightfoot song messed with me. You know the one, where he sings "When you reach the part where the heartaches come, the hero would be me. But heroes often fail."

That stayed with me for a long time, but only because I didn't understand the true nature of heroism. Heroism doesn't mean perfection, never having doubts or never making mistakes. It's our response to the failing or letdown that allows heroes to rise.

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Truth is heroes are all around us. But we're too busy looking in the wrong places for them. Maybe it's because they are normally everyday ordinary people who just do heroic things, like my family friend Manny Mojica who, like many of his fellow NYC firefighters, ran up into the Twin Towers as everyone was running out. He didn't survive.

Scientists and researchers are still trying to figure out what makes a hero. Neuroeconomist Paul Zak theorizes that heroes show more love and empathy, possibly due to higher levels of oxytocin. But we don't need to know the science behind what makes a hero. We can identify heroism when we see it.

I can think of a few of my local personal heroes right off the bat. These men have had to overcome near impossible odds to survive and some are still locked in that battle. Yep, I'm talking about William Dillon and Wilton Dedge , who were bamboozled with made-up evidence and lying jailhouse "witnesses" and who each spent more than 20 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. DNA evidence proved once and for all their innocence. And yet, these men today don't have a bitter bone in their bodies. Instead they are thankful and enjoying life to the fullest.

But some of my other heroes haven't been so "lucky."

Of course, I'm talking about people like C rosley Green, who as just made to return to prison last year after the appellate courts overturned a federal court's ruling that his constitutional rights were violated . It's pretty clear to me, and others, that Green did not commit the murder he's serving a sentence for. Yet, Crosley remains a man of faith, confident that justice will eventually prevail and he will once again taste freedom. Others, like Gary Bennett and Jeff Abramowski remain in prison with similarly troubling convictions.

So, why am I writing about heroism? Because late last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis opened up the governor's mansion to honor six students for their winning essays celebrating black history month. Two of those winners are Brevard County siblings: 10th-grader Joseph Gordon II and fifth-grader Jeremiah Gordon who are both home-schooled. The topic of the essay was “Celebrating Florida’s African American Heroes and Their Contribution to Freedom.”

What Books Moved Me: Piecing together Black History: A reading list of books to awaken your spirit

The winners received a two-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and a $100 gift card for school supplies. I wanted to showcase their work here and to maybe get you thinking about your heroes.

It's important.

Psychology Today lists several reasons why we need heroes . Heroes, the piece goes on to say, give us hope, healing, positive energy, meaning, purpose and more.

These people are all around us.

Here are the winning essays:

Jackie Robinson broke color barriers in Florida by 5th-grader Jeremiah Gordon

Have you ever heard about a man named Jackie Robinson?

The great Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. said, “He was a sit-inner before sit-ins, a freedom rider before freedom rides (Bertha).” This quote shows that Dr. King respected Robinson's heroic achievements. Jack Roosevelt Robinson, an African-American man, was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Later in his life, he became a protagonist for the rights of African Americans to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). Robinson and his family moved to Florida to fight for this freedom. He made a difference by overcoming trials, being the first black player in the MLB, and working for societal change during the civil rights movement.

Robinson overcame numerous trials to achieve his goals. Believe it or not, in high school he played football, basketball, and baseball (of course). In college, he played baseball at UCLA. Due to financial troubles, he had to leave UCLA and travel to Hawaii to play football for the Honolulu Bears. Then, in 1942, he was sent to the army. After his service, he joined the Negro Baseball League. However, Branch Rickey (President of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the MLB) wanted to integrate baseball, so he asked Robinson to join his team (R, Victoria). This is the moment Robinson had been waiting for. His determination and courage paid off.

Robinson broke many color barriers in his baseball career. He played for Rickey’s minor (Montreal Royals) and major (Brooklyn Dodgers) league teams when most teams were segregated (clubs were separated by the skin color). Two places in Florida (Sanford and Deland) threatened and kicked Robinson out because of his race. Thankfully, in Daytona Beach, Fl, color barriers were being broken. An African American woman, named Mary McLeod Bethune, opened the Historically Black College called Bethune-Cookman College in the city. This created the opportunity for Robinson to continue his spring training. He became the first African American to play in a minor league baseball game in Daytona, in 1946 (Robinson and Clinton). On April 15, 1947, Robinson broke a 60 year old color barrier by being the first black man to play in an MLB game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. His courageous acts opened the doors for other black players to play professional baseball (University of Denver).

Robinson also worked for societal change during the Civil Rights Movement. He joined Dr. King in rallies, events, and fundraisers. Before he died, Dr. King said, “You’ll never know how easy you and Jackie and Doby and Campy made it for me to do my job by what you did on the baseball field (Cardon).” Robinson fought for equal rights for all. He not only played baseball for fun, but he played to make a difference in the world.

In conclusion, Robinson was a hero that contributed to freedom in Florida. In his honor, a stadium in Daytona Beach was renamed The Jackie Robinson Memorial Ballpark (Civicplus). He was a bigger hero than any of my favorite Marvel Avengers.

Ray Charles: A Florida Hero by 10-grader Joseph Gordon II

Can you picture yourself being blind but still wishing to pursue your dreams? A courageous African American hero named Ray Charles Robinson (aka Ray Charles) overcame this challenge. He said, "Just because you can't see anything, doesn't mean you should shut your eyes.” Charles was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, and soon moved to Greenville, Florida (Biography.com Editors). Florida was the starting point of his music career. Charles was a pioneer for the freedom of African Americans because of his tenacity to prevail despite his disability, through his music, and his efforts towards breaking color barriers in the music industry.

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Charles had many walls blocking him, but even though they were tall, he still climbed over. Some of these walls include living with the burden of seeing his brother drown at a young age and soon after losing his sight at the age of 7. Charles’ devoted mother taught him to complete daily tasks for himself (to discipline him to live an independent life despite being blind). She was able to receive help, for her son, from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida. This school taught Charles how to read and write using Braille, play musical instruments, and arrange and read music (Biography.com Editors). These great feats opened up the doors to music for Charles.

Did you know that during the Civil Rights Movement, Charles’ song “Georgia on My Mind” was an anthem for the cause, and helped fund some of the organized events run by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr? Charles also had many protest songs, such as “You’re in for a Big Surprise (Jones).” He created a new genre of music that was pivotal in the historical period of inequality. His voice, piano playing, and a blend of church and blues music made people feel comforted. It was said that “the music of Ray Charles was a bridge (Reece).” His music came during a time when America was divided and needed unity.

Charles helped break down color barriers in the music industry. He increased the intensity of his fellow artists by inspiring them to rise to their fullest potential, no matter what obstacles they faced (Reece). As a respected artist, Charles was one of the first black musicians entrusted with artist control of his music by a record label. He ended his career with 17 Grammys, gained induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1992, and was ranked 10th out of 100 artists on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest artists of all time (Avanier).

All in all, Ray Charles will go down in history as a heroic Floridian who fought for freedom by overcoming obstacles, making music that encouraged and empowered people, and breaking color barriers in the music industry. He will be missed, but never forgotten. There is much more to learn about Ray Charles; this essay only scratches the surface.

Contact  Torres  at  [email protected] . You can follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter  @johnalbertorres .

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Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest

Their Story. Your Voice.

Your voice is your own. But it's also been impacted by others. Who, we wonder, has inspired you? Let us know by entering the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest. 

You could win an $8,000 college scholarship

For the opportunity to win an $8,000 scholarship, submit a video or written essay about an individual you know personally (who lives in your community) who has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

The details

The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate Quarterly Contests - one for each calendar quarter of 2024. Regions is awarding four $8,000 scholarships through each Quarterly Contest.

Each Quarterly Contest has its own separate entry period, as provided in the chart below.

The entry deadline for each Quarterly Contest is 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date (set forth in the chart above).

No purchase or banking relationship required.

Regions believes in supporting the students whose passion and actions every day will continue to make stories worth sharing. That’s why we have awarded over $1 million in total scholarships to high school and college students.

How to enter, 1. complete an online quarterly contest application.

Enter the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest by completing a Quarterly Contest application.  The second Quarterly Contest runs from April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024. Complete and save all requested information. 

2. Prepare your Written Essay or Video Essay

For each Quarterly Contest, the topic of your Written Essay or Video Essay (your “Essay Topic”) must be an individual you know personally, who lives in your community. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must address how the individual you have selected as your Essay Topic has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

Written Essay and Video Essay submissions must meet all of the requirements described in the contest Official Rules. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must be (i) in English, (ii) your own original work, created solely by you (and without the use of any means of artificial intelligence (“AI”)), and (iii) the exclusive property of you alone.

Written Essays must be 500 words or less. You can write your Written Essay directly in the application, or you can copy and paste it into the appropriate area in the application form.

Video Essay submissions must be directly uploaded to the contest application site. Video Essays must be no more than 3 minutes in length and no larger than 1 GB. Only the following file formats are accepted: MP4, MPG, MOV, AVI, and WMV. Video Essays must not contain music of any kind nor display any illegal, explicit, or inappropriate material, and Video Essays must not be password protected or require a log-in/sign-in to view. You must upload your Video Essay to the application, and you may not submit your Video Essay in DVD or other physical form. (Video Essays submitted via mail will not be reviewed or returned.)

Tips to Record Quality Videos on a Smartphone:

• Don’t shoot vertical video. Computer monitors have landscape-oriented displays, so shoot your video horizontally.
• Use a tripod. Even small movements can make a big difference when editing.
• Don’t use zoom. If you need to get a close shot of the subject, move closer as zooming can cause pixilation.
• Use natural lighting. Smartphone lighting can wash out your video.

3. Review and submit your Quarterly Contest application

Review your information on your Quarterly Application (and check the spelling of a Written Essay) and submit your entry by 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date. The second Quarterly Contest period end date is June 30, 2024.

4. Await notification

Winning entries are selected by an independent panel of judges who are not affiliated with Regions. If your entry is selected as a Quarterly Contest winner, you will need to respond to ISTS with the required information.

Eligibility

For purposes of this contest:

• The “Eligible States” are defined as the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
• An “accredited college” is defined as a nonprofit, two- or four-year college or university located within one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.

To be eligible to enter this contest and to win an award in a Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must:

• Be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States.
• Be age 16 or older.
• Have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation.
• If you are not yet in college, begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year.
• As of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no GPA is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school).

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NO PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP REQUIRED. PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest (the “Contest”) consists of four (4) separate quarterly contests (each a “Quarterly Contest”): (1) the “Q-1 Contest;” (2) the “Q-2 Contest;” (3) the “Q-3 Contest;” and (4) the “Q-4 Contest.” The Q-1 Contest begins on 02/01/24 and ends on 03/31/24; the Q-2 Contest begins on 04/01/24 and ends on 06/30/24; the Q-3 Contest begins on 07/01/24 and ends on 09/30/24; and the Q-4 Contest begins on 10/01/24 and ends on 12/31/24. (For each Quarterly Contest, entries must be submitted and received by 11:59:59 PM CT on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date.) To enter and participate in a particular Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must: (a) be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States; (b) be 16 years of age or older; (c) have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation; (d) (if you are not yet in college) begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year; and (e) as of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no grade point average is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school). (For purposes of Contest, the “Eligible States” are defined as the states of AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TN and TX.) Visit regions.com/ridingforward for complete Contest details, including eligibility and Written Essay and Video Essay requirements and Official Rules. (Limit one (1) entry per person, per Quarterly Contest.) For each Quarterly Contest, eligible entries will be grouped according to form of entry (Written Essay or Video Essay) and judged by a panel of independent, qualified judges. A total of four (4) Quarterly Contest Prizes will be awarded in each Quarterly Contest, consisting of two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Written Essay Entry Group and two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Video Essay Entry Group. Each Quarterly Contest Prize consists of a check in the amount of $8,000 made out to winner’s designated accredited college. (Limit one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize per person; a contestant is permitted to win only one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize through the Contest.) Sponsor: Regions Bank, 1900 Fifth Ave. N., Birmingham, AL 35203.

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2023 Winners

High school:.

• Amyrrean Acoff
• Leon Aldridge
• Kharis Andrews
• Colton Collier
• Indya Griffin
• Christopher Hak
• Aquil Hayes
• Jayden Haynes
• McKenna Jodoin
• Paris Kelly
• Liza Latimer
• Dylan Lodle
• Anna Mammarelli
• Karrington Manley
• Marcellus Odum
• Gautami Palthepu
• Melody Small
• Lauryn Tanner
• Joshua Wilson
• Mohamed Ali
• Kayla Bellamy
• Lauren Boxx
• Alexandria Brown
• Samuel Brown
• Thurston Brown
• Conner Daehler
• Tsehai de Souza
• Anjel Echols
• Samarion Flowers
• Trinity Griffin
• Kristina Hilton
• Ryan Jensen
• Miracle Jones
• Shaniece McGhee
• Chelby Melvin
• Lamiya Ousley
• Kiera Phillips
• Gabrielle Pippins
• Ethan Snead
• Sydney Springs
• Kirsten Tilford
• Tamira Weeks
• Justin Williams

2022 Winners

• Paul Aucremann
• William Booker
• Robyn Cunningham
• Kani'ya Davis
• Oluwatomi Dugbo
• Lillian Goins
• Parker Hall
• Collin Hatfield
• Gabrielle Izu
• Kylie Lauderdale
• Jacob Milan
• Jackson Mitchell
• Carmen Moore
• Madison Morgan
• Kaden Oquelí-White
• Kaylin Parks
• Brian Perryman
• De'Marco Riggins
• Brianna Roundtree
• Sydney Russell
• Carlie Spore
• Morgan Standifer
• Ionia Thomas
• Ramaya Thomas
• Jaylen Toran
• Amani Veals
• Taylor Williams
• Alana Wilson
• Taryn Wilson
• Aryaunna Armstrong
• Hannah Blackwell
• T'Aneka Bowers
• Naomi Bradley
• Arianna Cannon
• Taylor Cline
• Catherine Cummings
• Margaret Fitzgerald
• Chloe Franklin
• Camryn Gaines
• Thomas Greer
• Kayla Helleson
• Veronica Holmes
• Logan Kurtz
• Samuel Lambert
• Jaylon Muchison
• Teresa Odom
• Andrew Payne
• Carey Price
• Emily SantiAnna
• Curtis Smith
• Jered Smith
• Mariah Standifer
• Maura Taylor
• Anna Wilkes

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ACC honors Black History Month 2024 with events, essay contest

Posted by ACC Staff | Jan 30, 2024 | What to Do at ACC | 0

February is Black History Month , an annual celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans to culture and society. Austin Community College District (ACC) commemorates the month with multiple events open to ACC faculty, staff, students, and the community. 

This year’s theme is African Americans and the Arts: How the Arts shaped Black culture . The events are sponsored by ACC’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Center , African-American Cultural Center , and Black Representation of Achievement through Student Support (BRASS) program .

ACC hosts a kickoff celebration for its 2024 Black History Month event series on Thursday, February 1, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the TRHT Center (ACC Highland Campus, Building 4000). 

Other events planned in February include:

Understanding My Love for African Americans and the Arts: An East Austin Journey With Professor Roland Hayes

Thursday, February 8 | 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

ACC Eastview Campus African-American Cultural Center

Join a lively discussion with Professor Roland Hayes to learn about African-American history and culture.

Salon/Barbershop Talk: What Defines Culture?!

Thursday, February 15 

Highland Campus, Building 4000 | Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center

Participants will join an interactive discussion examining the elements of culture and behavior, both learned and innate, and how they have and will continue to shape perspectives and preserve diverse traditions and rich artistry.

Art Exhibition: Celebrating Local Black Art and Artists

Thursday, February 22 | 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Eastview Campus, Building 2000 | African American Cultural Center

Local artists will present work, discuss factors influencing and inspiring their art, and share what it means to be a Black artist in a rapidly gentrifying space.

Essay Contest

The college also hosts a Black History Month essay contest on African-Americans and the Arts. Essays must be received via email by 5 p.m., Monday, February 19th. Please send to [email protected] . The top two essays will be awarded a $50 and $25 prize, respectively. 

More details on the events and essay contest are available on ACC’s Black History Month webpage.  

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African American artists — poets, writers, visual artists, and dancers — have historically served as change agents through their crafts.

Drawn from their ancestors' ancient rites of passage and the shared hopes of liberty, Black artists continue to fuse the rhythmic cadence of creative expressions with the pulsating beats of progress. Our museum celebrates Black History Month 2024 by highlighting the "art of resistance" and the artists who used their crafts to uplift the race, speak truth to power and inspire a nation.

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Artists are the gatekeepers of truth. We are civilization’s radical voice. Paul Robeson (1898-1976) Concert artist, actor, athlete and activist

Whether digital, literary, visual or performing arts, Black trailblazers and innovators revolutionized their fields, often transforming them by pioneering new techniques and styles. Through art, important issues and figures in African American history are exalted, and underrepresented stories are preserved. For the entire month of February, we invite everyone to join us in celebrating art and its relationship with justice. Art plays a role in communicating emotions, building community and inspiring action.

Cultural Expressions (Literature and Poetry)

Culture shapes lives. It’s in the food people eat, the languages they speak, the art they create, and many other ways they express themselves.

I recognize that my power as well as my primary oppressions come as a result of my blackness as well as my womanness, and therefore my struggles on both of these fronts are inseparable. Audre Lorde (1934-1992) in 1980 Writer, professor, philosopher, poet and civil rights activist

Cultural Expressions Exhibition

Cultural Expressions  is a circular, experiential, introductory space to African American and African diaspora culture.

(Re)Creating the Narrative: The Black Women’s Literary Renaissance of the 1970s

Black women writers have consistently been a part of the cultural renaissances that have reshaped Black culture, nationally and globally. 

Icons and Luminaries

Phillis Wheatley

Booklet containing a biography of Phillis Wheatley and reprinted correspondence between her and George Washington, including a poem she sent him, "His Excellency General Washington."

In 2023, the museum acquired the largest private collection of items to bring new context and perspective to the life and literary impact of poet Phillis Wheatley Peters (c.1753–1784).

Gwendolyn Brooks

In 1946, Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) became a Guggenheim Fellow in poetry, and in 1950, she was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize, for her collection of poetry Annie Allen. The volume chronicled the life of a young Black girl growing up in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. Brooks was appointed the Illinois Poet Laureate in 1968, inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1976, and by 1985, she had become Poet Laureate of the United States. In this photograph from 1963, the poet holds a copy of Maud Martha, the only book of adult fiction she authored.

Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman was named the first Youth Poet Laureate of the United States in 2017. Gorman has served as the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. She has performed at the Library of Congress and spoken at the United Nations. She is the founder and executive director of One Pen One Page, an organization providing free creative writing programs for underserved youth. 

Before Amanda Gorman made history as the youngest poet to speak at a presidential inauguration, the National Museum of African American History and Culture featured her in our third annual Women’s E3 Summit in September 2020.

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes (1901-1967) was a poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, columnist, and a significant figure of the Harlem Renaissance. He was a graduate of Lincoln University, a historically black college in Pennsylvania.

Born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1902, it was the writer's many years in Harlem that would come to characterize his work. There he focused squarely on the lives of working-class black Americans, delicately dismantling clichés and, in doing so, arriving at a genuine portrayal of the people he knew best.

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Author, journalist and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates attends a panel at The Apollo Theater on February 27, 2018 in New York City. His writings include Between the World and Me, winner of the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction, and We Were Eight Years In Power: An American Tragedy, a n annotated collection of new and previously published essays on the Obama era.

Benjamin Banneker

Mathematician, astronomer and almanac author Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) as portrayed on a stamp released in 1980 as part of a Black Heritage series. Collection of National Postal Museum.

Gallery Modal

Lorraine hansberry: playwright, writer, and activist, the power of poetry: pre-civil war to reconstruction, the new negro renaissance to the black arts movement, “a writer is by definition a disturber of the peace”, 75 years of ebony magazine, boots on the ground.

We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the publick been deceived by misrepresentations, in things which concern us dearly. Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm Editors in the first edition of Freedom’s Journal founded in 1827

Searchable Museum

The Power of The Press

Black newspapers served local as well as regional and national audiences, helping to foster a sense of community and shared interests among African Americans living in different areas of the country.

Historic Members of the Harlem Writers Guild

Immersed in progressive politics, they were all bound by a revolutionary spirit and a strong sense of compassion for the individual struggles of one another.

Educational Resources

Learning Journeys for the Classroom, Home and Museum Visits

Join us in exploring stories of African Americans in the Arts throughout February with a special focus on art as a platform for social justice.

Taking the Stage (Performing Arts)

Through their achievements on the stage and screen, African Americans have used the power of performance to fuel social change.

The cultural heritage of the American Negro is one of America’s richest treasures. Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) Dancer, director, choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Taking the Stage Exhibition

Throughout Taking the Stage, visitors can contemplate how the roles black artists played on the stage and screen reflected changing aspirations, struggles, and realities for black people in American society. 

You Should Know: Harry Belafonte, Actor and Activist

From being the first Black American to win an Emmy to using his voice and his wallet to finance social justice, Harry Belafonte was dedicated himself to the improvement of his people and humanity across the globe. 

Transforming Dance around the World

Actresses who refused typecasting, making african america: the arts, a new african american identity: the harlem renaissance.

A black and white promotional photograph for The Emperor Jones starring Paul Robeson (1898-1976), a concert artist, actor, athlete and activist.

Promotional poster for the Italian release of "Lilies of the Field" starring Sidney Poitier (1927-2022), acclaimed actor, activist, director and ambassador. Poitier earned an Oscar for his performance in the film, becoming the first Black actor to win an Academy Award.

An autographed "Marshall" movie poster featuring actor Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020) that was being auctioned off during CinemaCon in 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Boseman was an actor, director, writer and producer who portrayed groundbreaking figures such as James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and Jackie Robinson.

Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) and her dance company work out of New York, and issued this cover for a 1950 program. Dunham was a dancer and choreographer known as a pioneer in dance anthropology, or the study of dance in a social and cultural context. 

Dancer Judith Jamison, born in 1943, photographed as she appeared in 'Prodigal Prince' in 1967. Jamison is artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and an esteemed choreographer whose awards and honors include an Emmy Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, and induction into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance.

Choreographer Fatima Robinson, born in 1971, poses at the premiere of "The Color Purple" held at The Academy Museum on December 6, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. Robinson is a dancer, choreographer, and music video director whose credits include choreographing the Academy Awards and musical numbers in the 2023 “The Color Purple” movie.

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) performs on the main stage on day one of Bestival on September 10, 2010 on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.  Scott-Heron was an author, poet, author, composer and recording artist whose songs included "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

Saul Williams performs on stage during day 4 of BAM Festival at Antiga fabrica Damm on September 25, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. Williams is a poet, rapper, singer and actor known for blending poetry and hip hop. He co-wrote and starred in the 1998 independent film Slam. He also starred in Holler If Ya Hear Me, a musical inspired by late rapper Tupac Shakur.

Pioneering comedian, writer, and activist Dick Gregory (1932-2017) performs at the 2008 Bermuda Music Festival at Bermuda National Stadium on October 4, 2008 in Hamilton, Bermuda. On stage, in comedy clubs, and on college campuses, on radio, television, and recordings, Gregory struck a blow to the heart of racism with messages full of wit and wisdom. He was active in the civil rights movement. He was a presidential hopeful as well as a prolific author who published several books and appeared in many films and television shows.

The Daily Show Correspondent Roy Wood, Jr. attends Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Premiere Party Event on October 22, 2015 in New York City. Wood is a comedian and actor best know for his appearances on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah where he's shed light on issues. He's also starred in Netflix’s comedy series Space Force , AMC’s Better Call Saul , and The Last O.G. on TBS.

North Star: A Digital Journey of African American History

Explore African American history through digital activities on the Smithsonian Learning Lab platform. The activities, or collections, have gathered objects, stories, videos and thinking questions all in one place.

Reckoning (Visual Art)

Visual art has long provided its own protest, commentary, escape and perspective for African Americans.

The power to inspire, the power to incite, the power to challenge... Tommy Oliver Photographer, producer and cinematographer in television and film

Reckoning Exhibition

Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. looks at the ways in which visual art has long provided its own protest, commentary, escape and perspective for African Americans. 

Take a Gallery Tour

Represent: Hip-Hop Photography

Represent paired images from the museum’s Eyejammie Hip-Hop Photography Collection with historical photographs to highlight connections between hip-hop culture and its relationship to other important historical figures, social movements, and creative moments.

Everyday Beauty: Images and Films in NMAAHC's Collection

Gail anderson: a leader in black graphic design, an artist forged in a steel mill town.

Jamel Shabazz

Photographer Jamel Shabazz poses for a photo at Rockefeller Center’s public art initiative celebrating photography with a lightbox exhibition featuring works by NYC street and subway photographer Jamel Shabazz at Rockefeller Plaza on March 27, 2021 in New York City.  Shabazz is known for his photographs of New York City during the 1980s. He has authored monographs, and contributed to many photography-related books. His photographs have been exhibited around the world. Selections are housed within permanent collections at museums including the Smithsonian's National Museum of History and Culture, the Studio Museum in Harkem and the Whitney Museum.

Chester Higgins Jr.

Chester Higgins, Jr. during the Clodagh Design Hosts The Thorn Tree Project's Evening of Art on November 2, 2017 in New York City. Higgins is photojournalist whose career has spanned five decades. He was a staff photographer at The New York Times for more than 40 years until 2014. His work has been featured in exhibitions worldwide and in books, including Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa and Echo of the Spirit, his biography. He's written several books including Black Woman, Ancient Nubia: African Kingdoms on the Nile, and It’s Been Beautiful: Soul! And Black Power Television. Some of his photography is part of permanent collections of New York's Museum of Modern Art. 

Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks (1912-2006) smokes a pipe at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Boston. Parks was a celebrated photographer whose career spanned six decades. He used his camera to chronicle culture and life in America as well as to shine a light on inequalities he witnessed. He was the first African American staff photographer for Life magazine. His work is in the permanent collections of major museums including the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Parks was also an activist, author, composer, poet, and a filmmaker. He was the first African American to write and direct a major Hollywood studio feature film,  The Learning Tree. He directed Shaft starring Richard Roundtree (1942-2023), whose portrayal as private detective John  Shaft helped redefine and reshape the roles of Black men in film and television.

Amy Sherald

Amy Sherald attends New York Academy of Art Tribeca Ball Honors Amy Sherald at New York Academy of Art on April 4, 2023 in New York City. Sherald is a painter who documents the contemporary African American experience through portraits. She is best known for her portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama featured in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Another portrait by Sherald, Grand Dame Queenie, is on display in the museum’s art gallery. Her painting of Breonna Taylor was also on display in the museum.

Betye Saar attends the 10th Annual LACMA ART+FILM GALA honoring Amy Sherald, Kehinde Wiley, and Steven Spielberg presented by Gucci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on November 6, 2021 in Los Angeles. The visuak storyteller is known for creating assemblage art. Saar was a part of the Black Arts Movement, which began in 1965 and ended in 1975. The movement featured politically motivated artists, poets, playwrights, musicians, and writers. Saar's work confronts racist stereotypes and explores Black identity. Her works include Black Girl's Window (1969), Mojotech (1987), and We Was Mostly 'Bout Survival (2017)

Elizabeth Catlett

Portrait of sculptor Elizabeth Catlett (1915 - 2012) attending a gallery opening for an exhibition of her work in New York in 2009. Catlett's legacy is one of cultural belonging and activism that provokes conversations about the role of art among continental American neighbors: the U.S. and Mexico. Several of her works iconize well-known African American heroines including Harriet Tubman, Phillis Wheatley, and Sojourner Truth to memorialize their activist legacies. Honors she's received include a Lifetime Achievement Award in contemporary sculpture from the International Sculpture Center, the Art Institute of Chicago Legends and Legacy Award, and honorary doctorates from Carnegie Mellon (the same school that denied her undergraduate admittance) and Pace University.

Art as Platform for Social Justice

Designed for grades three and up, this guide focuses on three not-to-miss objects and stories throughout the museum that highlight the connection between art and social justice.

Musical Crossroads (Music)

From the arrival of the first Africans to the present day, African American music has provided a voice for liberty, justice and social change. 

Music is our witness and our ally. The beat is the confession which recognizes, changes, and conquers time. James Baldwin, author “Of the Sorrow Songs: The Cross of Redemption" in 1979

Musical Crossroads exhibition

Musical Crossroads expands the definition of African American music to include African American music-makers in all genres and styles.

Religion in Black Music, Activism and Popular Culture

Spirit in the Dark examines Black religious life through a selection of photographs from the Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of Ebony, Jet and Negro Digest. 

Comrades in the Struggle

A look at the music of the poor people’s campaign, billie holiday: an icon in american culture, the stage belonged to her, mahalia jackson: gospel takes flight, sweet honey in the rock's carol maillard on being an 'artivist'.

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Stories Behind the Objects

Black voices in the arts lunch series   .

During Black History Month, we celebrated the contributions of Black artists who have used their platforms for social change. For three weeks, we featured performances of local artists including poets and spoken word artists, dancers, musicians, and a live painter inside Heritage Hall.

Pre-teen rapper Fly (“First Love Yourself") Zyah began her musical journey at age two and released her debut "Ride My Bike" at age six. She covers a range of topics including social justice.

The award-winning kt eXtreme dance project, established in 1988 by Kevin T. Malone, embraces diverse artistic disciplines.

February 16

The Bowie State University Concert Choir, under the direction of Professor Brandon J. Felder, serves as the resident choir of Maryland’s oldest historically black college and university (HBCU). The choir serves as cultural ambassadors for Bowie State University, the City of Bowie, and the State of Maryland.

Bowie State University theatre students recited monologues and sang along with the Bowie State University Choir.

kt eXtreme dance project focuses on bridging African American dance traditions with modern times. At the museum, the dancers performed parts of The North Star Project , a multi-generational and multi-disciplinary choreographic work that celebrates the pursuit of freedom and resilience.

Artist Summer Clinkscale says her interactions with others serve as her greatest inspiration and she brings those feelings to light through her work. The artist brought her passion of art to life during live painting activations in the museum.

Young dancers from Dynasty Elite Dance Company, a pre-professional competing and performance company, perform in Heritage Hall. The dance company is based out of Neema Dance Collective in District Heights, Maryland.

Dynasty Elite takes pride in building a community of highly skilled dancers ages 5-18 within the walls of Neema Dance Collective, led by CEO and Artistic Director Grace Johnson-Wright.

Dynasty Elite takes pride in building a community of highly skilled dancers ages 5-18 within the walls of Neema Dance Collective, led by CEO and Artistic Director Grace Johnson-Wright, an accomplished dancer, studio owner, published choreographer, and dance educator.

Poets and spoken word artists Miko Reed, Miss Kiane and Simply Sherri stand in Heritage Hall after their performances during Black History Month.

Miko Reed is a native Washingtonian, retired Army Master Sergeant, and has been writing poetry for over 20 years. She is an author, poet, public speaker, curator and host. Her first book, “Eggshells In Soft Black Hands,” came out in August 2021, and her latest book, "100 Poems and Possibilities for Healing," in January 2024.

California born and Maryland raised, Simply Sherri has been writing since 2001 and performing since 2008. Knowing how important it is to connect and share with young people, she has conducted workshops for DC Scores.  She has also volunteered with DewMore Baltimore, becoming a “poetry auntie” to many. 

A native of Queens, New York, Miss Kiane is an author, performer, and entrepreneur. Her work has appeared in a plethora of anthologies including "100 Poems and Possibilities for Healing." She operates nonprofit InkWELL and owns Kiane Ink Healing in the Pen, LLC, a creative arts company. She has appeared on a host of podcasts and television shows.

Artist Summer Clinkscale says her interactions with others serve as her greatest inspiration and she brings those feelings to light through her work. Clinkscale is a Visitor Services Lead at the museum. During Black History Month, the artist brought her passion of art to life during live painting activations in the museum

Artist Summer Clinkscale, who serves as a Visitor Services Lead at the museum, works on a painting in Heritage Hall for Black History Month.

Afrofuturism (Digital Arts)

Afrofuturism expresses notions of Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life. 

You got to make your own worlds. You got to write yourself in. Octavia Butler (1947–2006) Writer, Afrofuturist

Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures

The exhibition immerses visitors in a conversation that reimagines, reinterprets and reclaims the past and present for a more empowering future for African Americans. 

Go behind the scenes of NMAAHC's newest exhibition

Multimedia Afrofuturism

Afrofuturism has influenced how Black people are depicted in film, television, art, and architecture. Explore the artists reimagining Black possibilities.

Black Women Icons of Afrofuturism

Ease on down the road: a 'super soul musical', african american achievement at nasa, harriet tubman: life, liberty and legacy, remembering afrofuturist octavia butler.

Narratives of African American STEM professionals

Through the Window and into the Mirror is a video conversation series about the experiences of African American STEM professionals today.  Interviews with Ron Gamble, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Sharon Caples McDougle, K. Renee Horton, and Jessica Watkins are among the ones focused on space, space travel, and physics.

A Celebration of African Americans at NASA

This Learning Lab celebrates Black pioneers at NASA, their bravery, their exploratory spirit, and their desires to express themselves fully through their commitment to space exploration.

The Science of Sound: Activities Inspired by Dr. James West

Using hands-on activities and easy to find materials, students will use the story of Dr. James West to discover how an object produces sound and how sound waves travel. 

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Florida Students Invited to Showcase Their Talents in 2024 Black History Month Contests

Feb 2, 2024 | Black History Month , News |

The Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida have launched the 2024 Black History Month student art and essay contests and educator awards with the theme of “Celebrating Florida’s African American Heroes and Their Contributions to Freedom. ” These contests will run through Wednesday, February 7, 2024. Black History Month is celebrated each year in the month of February.

“Black History Month serves as a perfect chance for students to learn about the accomplishments that African Americans heroes have contributed to Florida in the name of freedom,” said Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “I hope students and educators use this contest to delve into Florida’s rich history and to learn about how African Americans have shaped our great state.”

“Florida goes the extra mile to recognize the immense and historical contributions of African Americans in our great state,” said Volunteer Florida CEO Josie Tamayo. “We are proud to offer this opportunity each year to recognize outstanding students and educators in Florida for their unique efforts and talents.”

About the Student Art Contest The Black History Month Student Art Contest is open to all Kindergarten through third-grade students in Florida. Each student will submit original, two-dimensional artwork based on this year’s theme. Four statewide winners will be selected for the month, and each winner will receive a $100 school supplies gift card and a one-year pass to Florida State Parks.

About the Student Essay Contest The Black History Month Student Essay Contest is open to all fourth through twelfth-grade students in Florida. Each student will submit one essay no longer than 500 words based on this year’s theme. Six winners will be selected: two elementary school students (grades 4–5), two middle school students (grades 6–8), and two high school students (grades 9–12). Each winner will receive a 2–Year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and a $100 school supplies gift card.

Students are encouraged to write about the African American heroes who fought for freedom across our state. The subject of the essay should be a Floridian. Examples include:

• Secretary John Davis  – Secretary John Davis is from the small town of Pahokee, Florida. His humble beginnings did not deter him from chasing his dream of playing collegiate football; he earned a spot on the Florida State University football team under Coach Bobby Bowden. Secretary Davis then spent the next 25 years of his career in the private and public sectors working tirelessly to champion freedom and support the pursuit of the American Dream. Now as Florida’s Secretary of the Lottery, he has been passionate about providing opportunities for students to achieve their goals through the Bright Futures Scholarships and is an advocate for freedom throughout our state.
• Mary McLeod Bethune  – Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was the founder of a school that became Bethune-Cookman University which provided educational freedom for African Americans in Florida during the 1900s. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune played a crucial role in the early civil rights movement and was a key advocate for African American women’s rights and education. Her legacy continues to be celebrated today as a trailblazer for African American rights and opportunities in the nation.
• Ray Charles  – Ray Charles grew up in Greenville Florida, attended the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, and began his music career in Florida. Despite being blinded at a young age and facing adversities throughout his life, Ray Charles overcame these challenges with strong will and refused to allow any circumstance to take away his freedom. His determination to pursue his dreams made him one of the most iconic and respected musicians of the 20th century.
• Representative Kiyan Michael  – Representative Kiyan Michael was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2022 to serve District 16, which is a part of Duval County. One of her passions is to provide a voice to Angel Families, including her own, who have experienced the damaging impacts of the open border policies. Her tireless efforts and contributions to preserving freedom and protecting constitutional rights make her an essential figure in her community.

About the Excellence in Education Award The Black History Month Excellence in Education Award Contest is open to all full-time educators in an elementary, middle, or high school in Florida. Four winners will be selected, and a principal, teacher, parent/guardian, or student may submit nominations. Excellence in Education award winners will receive a $2,500 monetary prize from Volunteer Florida.

Contest Entries and Nominating Forms and Guidelines Student contest forms and educator nomination forms must be mailed to Volunteer Florida or submitted online at  floridablackhistory.com

Volunteer Florida Black History Month Committee 1545 Raymond Diehl Road, Suite 250 Tallahassee, Florida 32308

All entries must be received by 5 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. If mailing, please consider the time necessary to ensure the submission is received by Volunteer Florida’s office no later than the aforementioned deadline.

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With debt in check, a gay, Black writer ‘Finally Bought Some Jordans’

The more personal Michael Arceneaux gets in his collection, “I Finally Bought Some Jordans,” the better it gets.

I’m not convinced the essayist has anything fresh to say about climate change, Donald Trump or being kind to restaurant servers, all of which he weighs in on, but his essay on “How It Feel Outside,” which is about his relationship with his folks, is a stunner.

Beginning with Arceneaux musing about how surprisingly loaded “How are you?” is when he asks it of his dad, “How It Feel” deals with being gay and Black and wondering how his parents will react to meeting a theoretical partner, but also covers territory most adult children can probably relate to at some point in their relationship with their folks.

Arceneaux describes his anger with his mom and dad. They love him for who he is but seem to have put up a few walls. He also admits his shortcomings as a son, acknowledging that, even if there are things they don’t feel comfortable talking about, he and his folks have found their way to a bond that works.

His mother (who died recently) worried, for instance, about material in Arceneaux’s earlier books, “I Can’t Date Jesus” and “I Don’t Want to Die Poor” (beginning all three titles with “I” suggests Arceneaux knows his own life is his best subject). In a phone conversation, Arceneaux writes, “I listened to her explain that she doesn’t want me to repeat her mistakes of holding on to anger for too long. She said it will make you sick. She said it can and will kill you. She said you will waste too many years of your life being angry.”

Some of the essays, including those about housing and writing, pick up on themes in “Die Poor,” which was about drowning in student loans. Arceneaux is not debt-free yet but he’s in a better place (that’s where the Jordan purchase comes in). And although he’s not in the business of giving advice, his approach to the psychology of debt relief is smart and helpful.

Arceneaux is a fluid writer, but I wish he’d had more help from an editor. The rampant use of italics in “Jordan” is distracting and there are too many sentences like this one: “At the same time, I sometimes am growing tired of constantly having to prove my value.” The evident frustration is understandable for a man who is, as Arceneaux points out, a double minority. But the sentence is janky.

Quibbles aside, Arceneaux has an opinion on just about everything and a snarky, unafraid-of-confrontation voice to back it up. He expresses ambivalence about writing – specifically, journalism – but it’s clear that, wherever he chooses to take his talents, he is a man with something to say.

“I Finally Bought Some Jordans” by Michael Arceneaux. (HarperOne, 224 pages, $19.99)

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