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February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black Americans throughout history. It’s also a time to reflect on our own family legacies and how they have been shaped by the Black experience in America if we are black or not.

When we think about our own family legacies, it’s important to recognize the ways in which our ancestors were impacted by the larger historical forces of racism and discrimination. By understanding our family’s history and the experiences of our ancestors, we can gain a deeper understanding of our own identity and place in the world.

Black History Month is also an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the resilience and determination of our ancestors and to honor their legacy. It’s a time to reflect on the sacrifices they made and the struggles they overcame, and to be proud of the contributions they made to our society.

As we celebrate Black History Month, let us take time to reflect on our own family legacies, and on the ways in which our ancestors were impacted by the larger historical forces of racism and discrimination. Let us honor and celebrate their contributions and their resilience, and let us work towards a more just and equitable future for all.

                                                                                               My great uncle Alfred Waller with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the pulpit of Black churches provided a space where controversial and challenging ideas could be communicated to the Black community. In a 1967 address at Shiloh Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. denounced the Vietnam War as well as the Baptist Church. King’s speech targeted the failure of the church in condemning an unjust and evil war, as well as the hypocrisy of a segregated Southern Baptist Convention that promotes missionary work in Africa. | Source: Cleveland State University. Michael Schwartz Library. Special Collections.