Celebrating the Black histories of tomorrow

February is Black History Month.

The story behind the designation is uplifting. It involves the ongoing effort by historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, beginning in 1915 through his death in 1950, to nurture a national awareness of “that beautiful history … [that] is going to inspire us to greater achievements.”

The spirit of belonging we strive for at UW Tacoma allows for lived, personal experiences both individual and collective to be acknowledged and celebrated powerfully and meaningfully. Empowerment flows from acknowledgement and affirmation. Black UW Tacoma students, inspired by our faculty and staff mentors, are emboldened to build futures for themselves, their families, and their communities that will shape the story of Tacoma and our region for years to come.

As our campus continues to wrestle with and to address opportunities brought forward to us to deepen our commitments, I am heartened by some of our collective efforts. These include the UW Tacoma Black Opportunity Fund and the sense of community nurtured by the UW Tacoma Black Student Union.

At the recent MLK Unity Breakfast when members of the Black Student Union took the stage, full of pride and promise for their futures, we were reminded that Black students at UW Tacoma are forging their paths in ways that will make indelible marks on history. Members of the Black Student Union exemplify what we achieve when we come together as a community to affirm and celebrate Black culture, empowerment, and excellence. They are leading today while students — and will carry that spirit of leadership forward after graduation. They are future doctors, lawyers, social workers, engineers, computer scientists, elected leaders, nurses, and more. They are future history makers.

Also, thanks to faculty and staff, our inclusive community elevates previously silenced voices and histories in the curriculum and through campus-wide conversations. Take for example the upcoming Paulsen Lecture featuring renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who will visit our campus on April 11. In The 1619 Project, creator and lead writer Hannah-Jones and others portray 400 years of American history starting with the arrival of enslaved Africans to Virginia. This monumental work, which has inspired a documentary series and associated educational initiatives, demonstrates the deep and abiding ways in which slavery has informed and shaped American life. How fortunate that we will benefit from Nikole Hannah-Jones' presence, while expanding our understanding of how this history grips our nation today, when she visits us in April.

In 10, 20, or 30 years, we will look back at our more recent history and see the fruits of our efforts to close equity gaps and enable opportunity at UW Tacoma. The learning and empowerment gained while earning a UW Tacoma degree, made possible by committed faculty and staff, often in partnership with community-based organizations, can launch graduates into history-making lives of citizenship and impact.

This Black History Month, let us not only acknowledge past and present Black excellence and perseverance, but also affirm the ways in which bright and promising futures are built every day at UW Tacoma — the Black histories of tomorrow we look forward to celebrating.