Celebrating black history

Fifty years after the Supreme Court struck down school segregation, IU is celebrating Black History Month throughout February.\n"The idea is to highlight the accomplishments, the achievements and the place of African Americans in history," said Edwardo Rhodes, interim associate vice president for student development and diversity.\nStarting with an African-American Read-In today in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, Black History Month will give students a chance to learn what they don't find in traditional history books.\n"You don't hear about African-Americans, you don't hear about Asians, you don't hear about Latinos who have made great contributions to our country," said senior Carolyn Randolph, a CommUNITY educator. "Unfortunately, we have to have something like this because we don't get that every day."\nRhodes and Randolph both stressed the importance of a year-round commitment to black history recognition.\n"We really hate to think that this is the one month we do this and the other 11 months, the longer months, we forget about it," Rhodes said. "We like to think of it as a focal point, but not the only point."\nRhodes said many misconceptions still exist.\n"About a third of cowboys in the old west were African-American," he said, noting a typical Hollywood distortion of history. "One of the things that Black History Month does is provide an opportunity to focus on these achievements and what went on, as opposed to what people think went on."\nIn addition to the Read-In, IU will sponsor several more events and speakers throughout the month. Today and tomorrow, there will be a Black History Month art fair at the IMU, and Thursday IU will host a keynote address by black scholar Cornell West.\nThe holiday began in 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson originated a week-long celebration, according to www.infoplease.com. That week has grown into a month, and it continues to grow, Rhodes said. He said he has seen considerable progress for the holiday in his 25-year tenure in higher education.\n"It seems that it's become larger," he said. "It's become more of a campus event as opposed to something in one little corner of the campus community." \nWith all the activities planned, this will be a busy month for Randolph. But the CommUNITY educator is up to the challenge of teaching others what she has already come to realize.\n"(It's about) the pride of knowing that you come from a past that wasn't just about slavery," Randolph said. "You come from a past of kings and queens and philosophers and writers. We've been able to hold on to a lot of our heritage."\nFor more information on Black History Month events, visit www.iub.edu.\n-- Contact staff writer Mike McElroy at mmcelroy@indiana.edu.