![Black History, Excellence & Duty [Contributing Writers Series]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5665ed977086d72f84395b71/1613496077398-QQS2GT4W2N186EXN3B3M/image-asset.jpeg)
Black History, Excellence, & Duty
by Joyce Summersett, MSW CWDP, Executive Director of Southern Technical Institute Orlando
This is an installation of a new Contributing Writers Series, focusing on bridging sectors and giving partners a spotlight to share on important issues.
After Peter Parker’s death within the Marvel Universe, Miles Morales, a Black teenager, fills the shoes of the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
Carter G. Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History,” developed Black History Month because he recognized that the American education system offered very little information about the accomplishments of African Americans. This was unfortunately true in my experience growing up as a child and teenager. My parents strongly encouraged education and they gave me as many books as they could on African-American history to read so I would grow up to be proud of my heritage. However, as I became a young adult, I knew it was my continued responsibility to learn as much as I could about the many great accomplishments of the famous, and not-so famous, African Americans that preceded me. Woodson believed “those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”
To me, Black History means that without the great leaders who have come before me, I would not have the same opportunities I, or any of us, have today. It’s very important that my children know the life we live wasn’t given but earned, and a lot of people paid a hefty price for us to live the way we do. I’m doing something a lot of people before us didn’t, or couldn’t, do; it’s not to be taken lightly—I feel, and felt, honored to have been able to attend college: leading to me being the first person in my family to get both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, and then enter a field of work where every day I am impacting lives—I love what I do! Being a Black woman in Corporate America isn’t always easy, but I have found it to be rewarding and worthwhile.
My parents were my unsung heroes, always encouraging me and supporting me. They truly were the wind beneath my wings and made an enormous impact on my life. They worked hard to make sure we had everything we needed and most of what we wanted without ever complaining. It wasn’t until I became a young adult that I truly understood how my parents were trailblazers:
My father was a World War II Navy veteran. It was 1947, the GIs were home from World War II, and housing was in short supply. Available only to World War II veterans and their families—and only white veterans at that—Levitt & Sons, led by William J. Levitt, built affordable houses in the town of Levittown, New York. The community prospered, and Levitt also added schools and shopping centers based on a central plan, where families had to abide by certain rules, such as mowing their lawns every week. Levittown became a symbol of the “American Dream,” but it also became a symbol of racial segregation. An opposition group was formed, the Committee to End Discrimination in Levittown, to protest the restricted sale of Levittown homes, and to push for an integrated community. Despite the 1948 United States Supreme Court ruling that eventually integrated the town, there were still bank-designated requirements preventing African-Americans from buying homes. After many challenges, my parents were one of the few African-American families in 1953 able to buy a home in Levittown.
Eventually my parents moved, as racism was still prevalent in the community, and an incident involving my brother while in kindergarten made my family feel unsafe. So they moved and bought another home in Hempstead, New York. It wasn’t until I was a young adult my parents told me the whole story of their time there, and the sense of pride I felt for the bravery of my parents during that time was formative for me.
When I think of Black History Month and Career and Technical Education (CTE), I hear: “accessible pathway to success.” There are many African-American pioneers that bridged a pathway to: inventions, film, music, and poetry being created; education, civil rights, entrepreneurship, and politics being progressed; a President and Vice President and numerous other trailblazers inspiring future generations. Black History Month is a shared history in the fabric of the United States of America. At some level, none of these great achievers could have done it were it not for the institution of education.
I also believe it’s important to recognize and give credit to those who history has tried to ignore: there have always been African-American men and women, immigrants, and people with disabilities accomplishing great things. Yes, Neil Armstrong is famous for walking on the moon, but an African-American woman named Katherine Johnson was responsible for that historic space flight, a mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to its success (I was very proud to see a movie produced about Ms. Johnson’s brilliance in 2016, Hidden Figures)! During Black History Month, we remember those leaders and pioneers who paved the way. However, many of us have our own personal heroes/heroines that led by example and encouraged us to be the best version of ourselves. It’s up to every generation to add our contributions to advancing the position of African Americans.
Every time someone achieves an educational or vocational goal, there is much to be celebrated. Black History Month and CTE Month is a time to be more inclusive, to seek to understand what is “not” recorded in history that highlights the greatness of our country and the richness of our collective heritage. It is also a time to ask: how do we provide educational opportunity for those that may be left behind? How do we tap into our collective resources to make sure that every minority, underrepresented, less fortunate population in our communities has equal access to educational and vocational opportunities? “When we create a culture that welcomes new points of view and values unique experiences, innovation can flourish,” says Angela Curley, Leader of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion and Corporate Citizenship at Henkel North America.
It is through our African-American history lessons that we have read of many who rose against seemingly insurmountable challenges, struggles, sacrifices and persecution to achieve success. We continue to have the challenges of access, racism, financial attainment, mental illness, substance abuse, deprived communities and resources, and poverty. We all know that education makes us better citizens by teaching us how to conduct ourselves by following rules and regulations and giving us a sense of conscience. Education is the key to eliminating inequality and reducing poverty.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
So, as we celebrate Black History Month and CTE Month, I maintain hope and optimism during a difficult time for this country. To defeat systemic racial harm there needs to be truth, then accountability, and perhaps reconciliation. I want to make sure that I make a difference in my career by leading with compassion and integrity; that I instill the importance of pursuing education and knowledge and by representing our African-American forefather’s legacies to the best of my ability and make sure that I pave a path for other upcoming minority leaders to follow. I challenge us all to be inspired, be mindful and be thoughtful about how you as an authentic leader will inspire the next generation and create an even bigger world of possibilities. Take the time to get to know more about Black History—and not just in February. See what you can learn. Black History has helped all people regardless of race, gender or sexuality—not just African Americans. Be the helping hand to guide those up in obtaining an education, a career where they can accomplish what they have dreamed about—and help them make it a reality—for it truly does take “a village.”
Joyce Summersett, MSW CWDP, is Executive Director of Southern Technical Institute Orlando, and is UpliftED’s Career Connections Impact Team Chair & Stakeholder. This is an installation of a new Contributing Writers Series, focusing on bridging sectors and giving partners a spotlight to share on important issues.