“Black History Month is a time to highlight the resilience of Black Americans throughout U.S. history. It gives all Americans an opportunity to listen to historical stories from our perspective that are not shared or may have been altered in American history books. Throughout the year, my father shares family recipes as he cooks with his grandchildren and our family explores my maternal grandmother’s big bible, which provides names, dates or events of our ancestors throughout history. My mom and aunt connect the dots for us by sharing stories, which provide a prism of our past for us to envision the shoulders we stand upon.”

Cassandra Dennis, DE&I

“Celebrating Black History Month is paramount because it allows us, as African Americans, to acknowledge and appreciate our African roots in all aspects of society. It is an important time to celebrate the past, the present, and a reminder of the hope and opportunity for the future.

Every month is Black History Month for me and my family. We celebrate Black history by actively participating in events that promote African culture and heritage. One of my family’s favorite traditions is the New Yam Festival, popularly known as ‘Iwa Ji’, ‘Iri Ji’, ‘Ike Ij’ or ‘Orureshi’, depending on dialect, in the Igbo tribe of Nigeria, West Africa. It is an annual cultural festival by Igbo people usually held at the end of the rainy season in early August. In Igboland, New Yam Festival is the celebration of the harvest that brings the communities together. The festival involves eating roasted yam, drinking palm wine, traditional dancing, and masquerades, called ‘Mmanwu’.”

Sixtus Aliriagwu, Environmental Health & Safety