Black Lives Matter movement essential to democracy | Guest view
Editor's note: This guest editorial is part of a series of coverage on Black History Month in the Poconos. Black History Month began on Feb. 1. Read a previous installment:MLK's legacy in America: The truth marches on | Christa Caceres
As the country recognizes and celebrates the contributions of African Americans during Black History Month, I want to share my thoughts as the first African American to serve as president of East Stroudsburg University in its 127-year history.
A year has passed since our nation celebrated Black History Month in 2020. As we prepare for this year’s celebration, I pause and reflect on a period in our country that will be remembered for many generations, for many different reasons: the COVID-19 pandemic will forever change the way we live; the election of the first Black and Asian woman as Vice President of the United States has shattered the glass-ceiling and hopefully awakened the dreams of so many women and girls; and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 will be remembered as one of the most tragic days in our history, alongside September 11, 2001 and December 7, 1941.
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While these moments are etched in our minds indefinitely, for me none of them compare to the images we have seen of the suffocation of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. This senseless murder and other killings of Black and Brown people have sparked a cry for social justice, tolerance and racial equality across our country and throughout the globe. The loss of Black and Brown lives are fundamentally why the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is not only necessary, but essential to our democracy. The core tenants of the BLM movement are rooted in the principle “that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This is not a political statement; these are basic human rights in a civil society and a message that resonates in our university’s The Way of a Warrior (online at bit.ly/3q2gokB), a series of tenets that speak to our institution’s values.
As we celebrate the achievements of Black people during Black History Month, I encourage each one of us to broaden our personal understanding and stand against social injustices, racism and discrimination. The first step is to be informed and educated on matters of diversity, equity and inclusion. Each of us can be an agent of change as we lend our support to those most affected by inequality. Only with our actions can we begin to see the change we all want to see in our country, in our world and in one another.
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I remain hopeful and optimistic about our future, knowing that we possess the ability to work together across the aisle to help one another heal, grow and continue to build a welcoming and inclusive environment for generations to come.
— Kenneth Long is Interim President at East Stroudsburg University. ESU is one of fourteen institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). ESU has the largest diverse student enrollment within PASSHE with 38.4% of its undergraduate and graduate students representing diverse populations.