Students of all ages attend the Succeeding in School tutoring program at Wheatley School. To them, Black History Month is a chance to dig deeper into the history and legacies of Black Americans.
Former Poplar Bluff Mayor Robert Smith, who volunteers with the program, agrees. It is vital for children, regardless of skin color, to take advantage of the new horizons opening in the study and recognition of the past.
“Kids need to learn as much as they can about their past, not just their own culture, but other cultures as well,” he said. “And they need to know the truth — because when I grew up, they didn’t have anything called Black history ... It was very low in history, books about African American people. And I think it’s an opportunity for the kids to learn the truth.”
Smith applauded the recognition he has seen for Black History Month in Poplar Bluff so far, including shows at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum highlighting local Black artists.
He hopes the celebration receives greater promotion in the future, “not just for local, but for national talent and worldwide talent.”
It is a goal that begins with the people in the community, he finds.
“I think there’s something that we need to start here at a local level to enhance it more, to push it more.”
“I’d say it’s important because it really touches upon the history of what Black people have brought to this country and what they’ve done for other countries. And it’s one of the only times that we really get to know anything about them, no matter like how small information it is, it’s still info on what they’ve done for us.”
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“It gives me time to like look back on everything that’s happened in the lives of Black people. And although it’s not really expressed that much in our school systems anymore, I still like to look back on things, learn it, see what happened, what information has brought us to where we are now, and just a lot of things like that. It’s really fun to figure it out...You can never have too much knowledge."
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“I think Black History Month is important because it helps people to reflect upon their past. And it’s more than just slavery. I feel like people should really want to dig into their roots. I feel like Black history is that window that opens up to a broader horizon ... Some people will see Black History Month and think that what MLK, and what Rosa Parks, and all those other people did was amazing, but hopefully it’ll help them to understand the background and the fight that they had to struggle through, and also make them realize that there’s more to Black history than just that. And hopefully it’ll help them to want to get into it and learn more about it on their own.”
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“My color of my skin gets celebrated for what we do.”
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“Black people invented potato chips and stop lights.”
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“I know what Martin Luther King did. Martin Luther King, he tried to make everything fair.”
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“So we can learn from our ancestors.”
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“You need to work hard so you can say your ABCs.”