By Isabella Fiutak, Banner Staff

Every February, Americans across the nation celebrate Black History Month. According to the National Archives, Black History Month originated in the 1920s with Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s efforts to promote awareness of the history and achievements of Black people in the United States. At the time, Woodson proposed a week in February, the month in which both Abraham Lincon and Frederick Douglass were born. This week gained national recognition with the Civil Rights Movement, and in 1976 President Gerald Ford officially designated February as National Black History Month.

The Winsor community celebrated one of the most famous Black figures in American history, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during an assembly at the end of January. “The MLK assembly was one of the most powerful and impactful assemblies we’ve had,” said Amanie Yusef ’25, Zena Khalifa ’25, and Yemisi Adetowubo ’26, heads of Winsor’s Black affinity group, SISTERS. “The mix of live music, spoken word, and multimedia worked together to create an engaging and moving experience that really brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘A Knock at Midnight’ and moments from the Civil Rights Movement to life.” Check out the MLK Jr. Assembly Recap article on page 1 for more details!

SISTERS also worked to celebrate and educate the Winsor community on Black History Month, focusing on Black art, particularly dance. During Upper School meetings in February and during their assembly on February 20, they presented on Black dancers and artists. Additionally, SISTERS worked in conjunction with their Lower School counterparts to make brochures on various Black dancers that they hung around the school. The group also held an open meeting on February 3 in honor of Black History Month, hosting Roxbury-born, award-winning artist Ekua Holmes. According to Ms. Jones Phinney, the head of Lower School, Classes I through IV had the chance to meet Holmes and hear her speak on the books she has illustrated.

However, the heads of SISTERS believe the school could do more to celebrate Black History Month. “Winsor could make it more known that it’s Black History Month by putting up a sign or having something on the TVs,” they suggested. “It would also be nice for whoever is in charge of the bulletin board outside the Senior Homeroom this month to have something on there to recognize Black History Month.” 

In the spirit of Dr. Woodson’s work to promote recognition of Black history, Winsor should do what it can to fully appreciate the contributions of Black people in America, not just in February, but year round.