By Dr. David Doré, Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges
Dr. Doré (R) meets with a student delegation from Blue Ridge Community College, at Virginia State Capitol, Jan. 15.
I am always inspired to meet with Virginia Community College students who have devoted the time and effort to travel to Richmond to meet with Virginia lawmakers during the wintertime General Assembly Session. I am impressed and humbled to hear about the challenges students overcome as they strive to learn the skills they’ll need to succeed and build better lives for their families in Virginia’s dynamic workforce.
Our students are a wonderfully diverse gathering of Virginians. We serve large numbers of African-American, Latino and Asian students at our institutions, along with smaller but still significant numbers of students from other heritage groups. More than 36,000 Black students are enrolled in our academic/credit programs. That’s part of the reason why I believe that celebrating Black History Month is so important. Black History is American History.
Organized celebrations of the contributions of Black Americans date back to 1915. Since the mid-1970s, every American president, Democrat and Republican, has issued proclamations commemorating Black History Month.
Dr. Doré joined the delegation from Virginia Peninsula Community College during their Jan. 30 visit to the General Assembly.
As I noted at this time last year, Virginia-born historian Carter Woodson played a key role in shining a much-deserved spotlight on this essential component of our shared history. Black History Month challenges us to recognize sacrifice and perseverance and be grateful for the men and women who improved life for all of us.
Governor Glenn Youngkin, issued a proclamation recognizing February 2025 as Black History Month in Virginia, noting that “throughout American history, Black Virginians have shown resilience and perseverance through political, social, and cultural oppression, from slavery, through Jim Crow and massive resistance, and have risen above to shape our lives today in countless ways.”
Virginia Beach State Delegate Michael Feggans took to the floor of the House of Delegates February 4 and said, “To those who say we no longer need Black History Month, I say this: when our history is told thoroughly, with all its beauty, all its blemishes…when every child in the Commonwealth learns the names of those who fought for justice…when we no longer need to fear the truth of our history, then and only then may we not need Black History Month.”
Learn more:
Because we’re in the learning business, let’s also help spread the word. Here are some resources:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
18 Museums & Historic Sites to Learn About Virginia’s Black History
With thanks to Tara Cassidy, VCCS Director of Library Services, here are five research databases available from the core VCCS Libraries online collection:
African American Poetry:
http://library.vccs.edu/license-bin/linker.plx?etextaapd
Early history of African American poetry, from 1746 to the major poets of the nineteenth century.
African Americans and Jim Crow: Repression and Protest, 1883-1922
http://library.vccs.edu/license-bin/linker.plx?aajcrp
Crucial documents covering the lives of African Americans during the rise of segregation and Jim Crow.
African Americans and Reconstruction: Hope and Struggle, 1865-1883
http://library.vccs.edu/license-bin/linker.plx?aarhs
Crucial documents covering the lives of African Americans in the years following the Civil War.
America: History and Life:
http://library.vccs.edu/license-bin/linker.plx?abcahl
Journal collection that covers the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.
HistoryMakers Digital Archive:
http://library.vccs.edu/license-bin/linker.plx?makers
A collection of African American video oral histories that is continually growing. Archive includes interviews with African-Americans from all walks of life, including politicians, authors, civil rights activists, religious leaders, musicians, legal scholars, and more.
College Events:
Many of our colleges are hosting events commemorating Black History Month. (Note: we’ll update this list as we receive additional information during the month.)
Blue Ridge Community College
Central Virginia Community College
Danville Community College
Eastern Shore Community College
Germanna Community College
Mountain Gateway Community College -Presentation Feb. 11, 11:30 a.m
New River Community College
Patrick & Henry Community College
Reynolds Community College
Southside Virginia Community College
Southwest Virginia Community College
Virginia Peninsula Community College
