It was a multicultural weekend, February 17-18, in Aurora where both Black History Month and Lunar New Year celebrations were held at Fox Valley Mall. Crowds gathered at the same time when two simultaneous events put a spotlight on Aurora’s diversity. Aurora’s Black community celebrated Black History Month by spotlighting...
By Al Benson Black History Month at Gayles Memorial Baptist Church in Aurora was personal for congregants. They loaned artifacts for multiple exhibits at multiple locations in the Church during February. Betty Gaddy of Oswego, a Gayles member, coordinated the celebration. According to Gaddy, volunteers made the program a success...
By Dr. Tracy Metcalf As we celebrate Black History Month, many influential black leaders come to mind, such as Maya Angelou, Malcolm X, Harriet Jacobs, Katherine Johnson, and Mamie Till. Though the list goes on and on of all the men and women in the black community who have had...
Black History Month is an annual celebration of the history, accomplishments, and contributions of African Americans in the United States. This celebration every February honors the achievements of African Americans in various fields and brings attention to important topics such as the fight against racism and the struggle for civil...
Aurora continued its ‘Aurora In Black’ month-long series of events for Black History Month by sending Aurora city government employees into schools to inspire youth. The “Changing the Narrative” mentoring session brought together black male young professionals who work at Aurora City Hall and black male high school students for...
Carter G. Woodson, an American historian, author, journalist, and founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History couldn’t have known how significantly opinions about Black History Month would change when he came up with the concept of Negro History Week nearly a century ago in...
As the Nation reflects on the contributions and history of black Americans during Black History Month, the City of Aurora government received national news this week that celebrates the progress and future of its own black community. In a study of 129 cities in America, the personal finance website, SmartAsset,...
VIII. By Fermina Ponce The blacks of my land hurt from oblivion, my ancestors reel under their ebony headstones. The elders and the children seem to vanish in a needless death, wide hips are said to have tired of birthing smiles and there is no respite in pearl grins. The...
Everyone can celebrate Black History Month with The Aurora Public Library’s (APL) newest featured exhibit at Santori Library, Telling a People’s Story: African-American Illustrated Children’s Literature. Originally shown at the Miami University Art Museum in Oxford, Ohio, and now visiting schools and libraries throughout the Midwest, Telling a People’s Story...
