Junior Rho Kappa Shares Ways to Honor Black History Month

7th grader Payten J. is the Diversity Liaison for Junior Rho Kappa. In her role, she provides cultural information to share with the Highlands School community on behalf of Junior Rho Kappa.

As Black History Month comes to a close, we take this time to reflect on the rich history, contributions, and resilience of Black individuals throughout history. Did you know that Black History Month was first established as "Negro History Week" in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson? It expanded to a full month in 1976 and has been recognized nationally ever since.

This year’s theme, “African Americans and the Labor Movement,” highlights the vital role Black workers have played in shaping labor rights, economic progress, and industry in the United States. Here in Alabama, figures like A. Philip Randolph—a labor leader born in Crescent City, FL, but with deep ties to the South—organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first major, Black-led labor union. His work laid the foundation for fair wages, civil rights, and workplace protections that benefit all workers today.

There are many ways to continue honoring and learning beyond February:

📚 Read books by Black authors – literature is a powerful way to engage with Black history and experiences. Consider:

• Infants to PreK: I Am Enough by Grace Byers 
• Elementary: Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel
• Middle School: Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne
• High School: Black Workers Remember: An Oral History of Segregation, Unionism, and the Freedom Struggle by Michael Keith Honey
• Adults: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

🛍️ Support Black-owned businesses – Whether it’s a local bookstore, restaurant, or online shop, investing in Black entrepreneurs strengthens communities.

🎭 Engage with the arts – Watch a film, visit the Civil Rights Institute, or listen to music by Black artists to celebrate their creative legacies.

Black history is American history, and we encourage you to continue learning, celebrating, and uplifting these stories all year long.