Since its establishment in 1976 under the presidency of Gerald Ford, Black History Month — commonly referred to as BHM — has been a principal celebration of the Black American identity. For decades following, Black communities around the nation have celebrated the annual observance of Black culture and history, according to NPR.
Each year, a special theme is chosen by certain government bodies or cultural organizations that magnifies a certain aspect of Black culture. In 2022, it was Black Health and Wellness. In 2023, it was Black Resistance, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASAALH).
Now, in 2024, the theme is African Americans and the Arts. Throughout the nation, individuals, communities and universities can reflect on Black Americans’ impact on music, fashion, literature, film and more, according to the ASSALH.
Pepperdine is hosting several events that encompass this theme. On Feb. 14, Pepperdine hosted a film screening of the documentary “Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom” followed by a panel discussion with Rasool Berry. This award-winning film follows Berry as he facilitates conversations with fellow Texans whose ancestors were emancipated June 19, 1865.
On Feb. 15, Pepperdine will welcome Mathew Knowles, record executive and former manager for his daughters Beyoncé and Solange Knowles and Kenny Lattimore, a Grammy Award nominee singer-songwriter. Knowles plans to discuss the tremendous impact African American musicians have had on the music genre, according to a Feb. 5 email from English and Film Professor Joi Carr.
Payson Library Honoring on Campus
In Payson Library, the university has a physical and virtual display of works written by influential Civil Rights Movement figures. These resources include biographical works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and more.
“During the 1900s and Jim Crow, access to education was very unknown,” said senior Timothy Jackson. “Now that we have access to education, Black History Month is a time to celebrate that.”
An important aspect of Black History Month is acknowledging those who advocated for Black education, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Brown v. Board of Education is the cornerstone for education equality, so Pepperdine has included a new entry in its Special Collections. With a landmark unanimous decision, the Supreme Court declared the segregation of public schools a violation of the 14th Amendment and unconstitutional, according to the National Archives.
One individual who had a lasting impact on this case is Marion Thompson-Wright. Wright was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D., and her doctoral dissertation is titled “The Education of Negroes in New Jersey.” Her work was cited in the Brown v. Board argument and played an important role in the decision, according to the American Historical Association’s Perspectives on History.
Decades later, Pepperdine acquired Wright’s works and made them available to the public in Special Collections. Boone Special Collections and Archives is located on the second floor of Payson Library and consists of “unique, physical artifacts” from significant historical eras.
The Marion Thompson Wright Collection consists of rough drafts of her dissertation, cassette tapes of interviews with her, personal effects and more.
Black Student Association
One of the main communities celebrating Black History Month is the Black Student Association (BSA). Its mission is to “promote unity and cultural awareness, as well as to expose the Pepperdine community to the unique and universal qualities and traits of Black cultures,” according to its Peppervine account.
“BSA is a unique community because you have people from different demographics, from all around the country,” Jackson said. “And they’re trying to find their homeostasis here at Pepperdine.”
Pepperdine partnered with BSA to promote influential Black figures by posting an Instagram reel asking fellow Waves what popular Black person they would want to have dinner with. The answers ranged from Kanye West to Thurgood Marshall.
“That was one way to not only engage current Pepperdine students and get the community talking but also to engage with the social media community as well,” Co-President of BSA Olivia Noell Baker said. “It helped past Pepperdine students and alumni see that BSA is still active and doing great things with the school.”
The club also hosts numerous events throughout the year, such as Friendsgiving, an annual formal and a winter party.
On Feb. 8, the club hosted “Pepperdine Black Network: Wisdom for the Workplace,” which included a panel of Black Pepperdine alumni who shared their experience in the workplace environment post-grad. This event was a way for current BSA members to connect and network with alumni.
“It’s one thing to graduate from college,” Baker said. “It’s another thing to graduate from Pepperdine, especially being a Black Pepperdine alumni. This panel gave insight on what the workforce has looked like for them.”
BSA strives to connect Black students and create a familiar environment, thus easing the college transition, Jackson said.
“For me, I just do my best to recognize Black students and try to create a space to commune with one another,” Jackson said. “It’s just a matter of bringing that community together because I think we are stronger together.”
Acknowledgment of Pepperdine’s Areas of Improvement
As the Waves community celebrates Black History Month, it’s also important to recognize that there is always room for improvement. One can commemorate Black culture while simultaneously acknowledging the need to become educated. Although Pepperdine continually makes efforts to celebrate Black individuals and culture, the university still has aspects to change, Baker says.
“They could do a little bit more, even posting different facts about different people on their Instagram to celebrate,” Jackson said. “There is definitely room for improvement, especially acknowledging it [Black History Month] and doing something about it. Even if it’s something more simple.”
The fact that the University holds events in February does not equate to perfect inclusion. Black Pepperdine students also still feel that the Pepperdine environment is not as inclusive and safe as it needs to be, Baker said.
“Our professors and students need to be aware that, while things like slavery are not still happening, we still have students saying things they shouldn’t be saying, especially in a classroom setting,” Baker said. “I think [fixing] that is really important, and it’s something Pepperdine needs to work at.”
Pepperdine’s goal of raising students in purpose, service, and leadership has to be acknowledged in the discussion of race and inclusion, Baker said.
“You cannot be service-oriented if you’re also racist towards the people that you claim to be serving,” Baker said. “You cannot be a leader if you are claiming that people can’t understand you. A good leader does not talk down to somebody. A good leader lifts them up and looks them in the eyes exactly where they are.”
The Pepperdine community must take the personal initiative to educate themselves, while also encouraging others to take the same steps. Education on the history of Black people and understanding the harmful stereotypes placed on the community help reduce ignorance and increase inclusion, according to UCONN’s Center for Education Policy Analysis.
Whether it’s mandatory diversity training or simply starting a conversation with our Black peers about their experience as a minority at a predominantly white institution, education must be at the forefront of celebrating Black History Month, Baker said.
“Black History Month is a great way to recognize the fact that Black people have a history here and to talk about all the things that we have done and will do,” Baker said.
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Contact Shalom Montgomery via email: shalom.montgomery@pepperdine.edu
