Author’s Note: While I worked at SMASH, I was asked to contribute a guest post to the Kapor Center’s Medium publication, The Bridge, about Black History Month. The BHM Committee put on a series of events and programming to celebrate the holiday. My post reflected on those events as well as my personal experience as a non-black person of color participating in these activities. To read the full post on Medium, click the button below.
Growing up, I distinctly remember understanding the importance of Black History Month — at least on a surface level. I’m lucky enough to have had a Black teacher as early as elementary school — something I know many children of color can’t say today. Her name was Mrs. Pryor. It’s because of Mrs. Pryor that Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” and Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” became a couple of my childhood anthems.