Montgomery County holds Black History Month events throughout February

Montgomery County continued its slate of Black History Month programming with events being held throughout the month.

Virtual sessions are being held Wednesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. in observance of this year’s theme, “African-Americans and Labor.” While the premier event on Feb. 5 centered around “Challenges in the Black American labor force,” other event topics focus on financial literacy and women in the workforce.

Black History Month was first recognized by former President Gerald Ford in 1976.

“We celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black leaders throughout this country’s history because these leaders fought for and advocated for basic civil rights that were not historically available to all of us: the right to vote, the right to housing, the right to be paid for their labor and to be paid a fair wage, the right to public education, the right to congregate, the right to be served at a lunch counter, the right to swim in a public pool, the right to take a seat on a bus,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder.

Winder is the county’s first elected Black woman county commissioner. During her remarks at a meeting this month, she noted the significant impact of activists such as Rosa Parks, known for her role in the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. Her civil disobedience and refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger sparked a 13-month protest against segregation on public buses, according to Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute.

“Rosa Parks is just one of the many heroes that we’ll celebrate during this month. I want you to join our amazing events throughout the month of February, and we’ll end the month with a celebration in person on Wednesday, Feb. 26,” Winder said.

Registration is being required for the virtual events and more information can be found online at montgomerycountypa.gov/Black-History-Month. The final in-person event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 26 on the first floor of the Human Services Center, 1430 DeKalb St. in Norristown.

NAACP leaders speak

This year’s slate of events were organized by a dozen members of the county’s Black History Month Committee. The group’s existence spans more than two decades, with organizers working to put on community programming.

County commissioners commended them for their efforts.

“Thank you all for taking the time to put together a really great program, and we appreciate your efforts, despite these times, in continuing to bring these events to light,” Winder said.

As President Donald Trump directed executive actions aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion-related programming and personnel, leaders in Montgomery County maintained the need.

“It’s a travesty to be going through what we’re talking about in this nation coming from those that want to change what’s going on when people really want to figure out how we are alike than not alike,” said Maurice Davis, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Willow Grove branch.

Along with Davis, presidents from the national organization’s Ambler, Cheltenham and Main Line branches were in attendance at the Feb. 6 meeting where they received a commendation from county commissioners.

“We’re tremendously grateful for the work that you’ve done for civil rights, protecting voting rights, access to health care, empowering the next generation of leaders, and being critical members of our community who advocate for equity and justice for all. Your partnership is essential to us,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairman Neil Makhija.

The branch presidents touched on the importance of Black History Month, their organizations and the role they play throughout the community.

Ambler branch President Shaykh Anwar Muhammad noted that “Black History Month is every day” and “it’s a tremendous honor for me to fight the battles for the people that need them most, for our civil rights. This is something that is an ongoing process.”

Main Line branch President Brian Reese-Turner agreed.

“The work that we continue to do every day is super important as you already stated,” he said. “This year obviously is changing, the work is just going to become that much more difficult, but we’re still committed to ensure that people’s rights are protected, especially in terms of equity for the county.”

“Thank you for your work that you do in our communities every single day, not just during Black History Month,” Winder said.

Local leadership also noted a time where there was ongoing dialogue between branch presidents and county commissioners, all of whom agreed on resuming those conversations on a monthly basis.

“I would like to see us reengage and have those meetings,” said Commissioner Tom DiBello, adding that “I think the service what you’re providing in your communities is extremely important and want to be able to see that continue moving forward as well, so thank you for everything you’re doing.”

Cheltenham branch President William Taylor had some parting words for the people in the room as he encouraged activism and for people to stay engaged.

“You cease to exist if you do not speak about things that matter, and there are a lot of things at this point in time that matter in terms of the climate of our nation,” Taylor said. “I’m going to leave you with that thought.

“You need to speak out about something that’s going on, but it may not be in your life, it may not be in somebody else’s life, maybe somebody that you know, maybe somebody that you don’t know, but each and every one of us are being affected about what is going on in our atmosphere,” he continued.

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