Black History Month: Past and Present

Although observances of black history began as early as 1915, Congress officially designated February as Black History Month in 1986. Since then, presidents have issued annual proclamations to kick off the month.  The first, issued by Ronald Reagan, stated that “the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of [the] struggle for freedom and equal opportunity” faced by African Americans throughout the history of our nation. It has become traditional for presidents to focus on a specific issue in this proclamation.

This year, equal access was the central theme of President Biden’s proclamation. Equal access to the ballot box; safe drinking water; public transit; high-speed internet; fair housing and mortgage lending; and higher education.  Biased policy decisions, both past and present, keep these basic necessities out of reach for many Black American communities.

President Biden also commented on the need to promote effective, accountable, and transparent community policing, an issue that has been hotly debated this year as we continue to have a conversation about the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the many senseless deaths of black men and women at hands of police.

While Black History Month is a time to reflect on the past struggles and achievements of black Americans, it’s also clearly an excellent opportunity to reflect on the struggles of the present and the things we can do, particularly as members of the legal community, to impact our own and other communities for the better.

The least we can all do is maintain our awareness.  The RWU Law Library continues to supplement its collection in the areas of antiracism, criminal justice reform, and culturally responsive pedagogy.  We encourage you to check out our Black History Month book display and to search for other titles in our catalog.  This month and throughout the year, if you have ideas for resources to be included in our collection, please email us at lawlibraryhelp@rwu.edu.

You’re also welcome to check out our Black Lives Matter resource guide for more information. This guide is a community effort and contains resources recommended by alumni, faculty, staff, and students. This guide is a living work which will continue to grow and develop. If you have ideas for resources to be included in this guide, you already know what to do.  We look forward to hearing from you with your suggestions.