Black History Month 2023

Greetings, and happy Black History Month! As we begin the 2023 celebrations, History and Traditions: Being Black in America, I want to take a moment to reflect on the tradition of Black History Month.

It is a time to recognize the extraordinary impact that Black Americans have made to our nation. A time to celebrate Black art, Black joy, and Black excellence. And a time to pause and reflect on what it means to be Black in America.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History established what would one day evolve into Black History month in 1915. They saw the need to “speak a fundamental truth to the world–that Africans and peoples of African descent are makers of history and co-workers in what W. E. B. Du Bois called, “The Kingdom of Culture.” We celebrate that culture today and every day.

Here at Virginia Tech, we recognize that our efforts at inclusivity are better than they have been, but not yet quite what we want them to be. I recently reflected on my time as a proud Hokie in my personal blog. I celebrate and thank those whose presence and power have helped carve out the milestones that we have met in the last seven years.

This year, the Virginia Tech community has come together in collaboration to offer a wide variety of seminars, events highlighting the arts, student-led programming, and the gathering of our community. A full calendar of events can be found here. I hope you will join us in this month-long celebration of Black history, traditions, and joy.