MAYS LANDING — This February, Black History Month is celebrating its 100th year of commemorating the achievements, courage and perseverance of the millions of individuals who have made Black history both consequential and powerful.
Atlantic Cape Community College’s Student Government Association (SGA) officially raised the Pan-African flag on the snowy grounds of the Mays Landing campus Quad on February 3 as numerous students, staff and faculty braved the cold and blustery winter temperatures to welcome the start of the College’s month-long celebration of Black History Month across all three campuses. The Charles D. Worthington Atlantic City campus held its flag raising and opening ceremony on February 2.
SGA President Clive Morgan began the ceremony with emotional words of remembrance with historical significance.
“Today, we do more than just gather, we remember and we honor. This month marks 100 years of commemorating Black history. One hundred years of remembering resilience, excellence, sacrifice, and remarkable strength. But today is not only about looking back. It's about understanding that the very ground that we walk on was paved by individuals who refused to accept limitations,” said Morgan. “Because of Harriet Tubman, courage has a face. Because of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a dream still lives. Because of Rosa Parks, we understand the quiet power of standing firm by sitting down. Because of (Supreme Court Justice) Thurgood Marshall, justice found a stronger voice.
“Like so many honorees, teachers, activists, parents, and students, progress never stops. It never stops moving forward. History is not only found in textbooks. It lives on in perseverance. Its history lives on in opportunity and history lives on within all of us. The raising of the flag today is a very deep symbolic gesture. A flag does not fly because the wind moves, it flies because of the people who listen. And when we raise the flag today, we are lifting more than a fabric, we are lifting the legacy and lifting the voices that were once silent. We are lifting generations who believed in a future that they might never see, yet they fought for it anyway. May this flag serve as a reminder that excellence knows no boundaries, that perseverance overcomes and that unity is always stronger than division.”
The Pan-African flag’s red, black and green colors symbolize freedom, pride and power for Black Americans. The flag was created as a unifying symbol in 1920 by political activist, journalist and speaker Marcus Garvey and members of the UNIA.
Black Student Alliance President Juno Gregory spoke of the importance that Black History Month holds for himself and how it positively impacted his life.
“I grew up in the streets of Newark and I grew up with nothing but culture. When Jordan dropped, I copped. When the street lights came on, you better be making your way back in the house. And when I acted a fool, my mom made sure to spank my tail. These are just some of the things that created me as the Black man I am today. Even though my birth certificate reads American, for the longest time I felt invisible to America and for me, that's why Black History Month is so important,” said Gregory, who is a sophomore Communication major from Atlantic City. “It's more than just celebration, it's recognition, it's accountability and a reminder that Black history is not separate from American history.”
Following the flag raising, performers from the Kotchegna Dance Company delighted the attendees in the Student Center lobby with traditional sounds that brought to life the ancient stories and legends of Africa’s Ivory Coast. The members of the dance troupe dressed in brightly-colored attire and moved to the rhythm and beat of the drums. Free food and refreshments were provided to those in attendance as well.
View a photo gallery of this event on Flickr.
Signed into law by President Gerald R. Ford in 1976, Black History Month was first conceived as an idea in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson and members of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The month of February was selected to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln, the father of the Emancipation Proclamation, and abolitionist, author and orator Frederick Douglass.
Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week and 51 years later, in 1976, during the nation’s bicentennial, President Gerald R. Ford asked Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
For more information on Black History Month events at Atlantic Cape this February, please visit atlanticcape.edu/bhmevents.
About Atlantic Cape Community College
Established in 1964, Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, 2022 Achieving the Dream Leader College and Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 34 certificate and workforce development professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with several four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree without having to leave home.
