March 7, 2023

Black History Month is a time to reflect, educate, and celebrate the legacy of influential leaders who have helped shape our country and pave the way for Black excellence and achievement. 

Last month, our young people learned more about influential Black leaders, historical events, and current issues. They viewed African American films and engaged in meaningful discussions with their youth care workers and peers afterward, examined poems about Blackness, and shared their feelings about ongoing struggles. 

“Our youth were really talking about how [social injustices in Black communities] made them feel,” said Mercy Home program manager Gewanda Monroe. “And some of them, or their family members, have experienced [discrimination, or injustice]. For some of them, it was triggering.” 

For those who felt uneasy during the discussions, our coworkers where there to offer support and safety, while encouraging honest and open dialogue. 

“This can be tough, but these are good conversations to have because the more you talk about it, the more you become aware [and] the more you support each other through these incidents, the more we can hopefully stop these things from happening,” Monroe said.

But Black History Month activities involved more than confronting difficult topics, with Tuesday trivia days offering opportunities to have fun while learning about the contributions of African Americans. These trivia events encouraged our young people to read more about Black history and even gave them the chance to win some great prizes. Additionally, our young women learned about the four African American sororities while also enjoying a sock hop in an evening filled with music, movement, and motivation around a college education.

Helping to keep our young people immersed in learning during February were the posters that hung on our cafeteria walls highlighting the different historically Black colleges and universities in the U.S. and historical facts of Black figures who have changed the world. And our young people helped motivate and teach one another as well by decorating doors at the Home with inspirational quotes from Black historical figures. 

As Mercy Home celebrated Black heritage last month, many of our kids were motivated to push through their adversities and gained a sense of pride and gratitude for the accomplishments of all African Americans.