Letter: Black History Month Op-Ed

To the Editor:

February is the shortest month of the year, and yet, it is the month that we assign one of the year's most important celebrations. While some think that Black History Month is a time to learn about racism and slavery, in reality it is much more: It is a time to recognize the contributions of Black and brown people to our society.

According to an article published by Zinn Education Project, the creator of Black History Week, Carter G. Woodson, "believed that Black history was too important to America and the world to be crammed into a limited time frame."

In restricting the celebration of Black history to one month, we are sending a message to American teachers that one month is enough to educate the American youth about the rich diversity and impact of Black history.

Let's first consider the fact that Black history spans a wide variety of topics. Most teachers limit their discussions of Black history to slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, spending only about 9 percent of class time throughout the year on it. I am in no way denying the importance of these topics, however, I believe that there are so many others worth teaching. Things like the Harlem Renaissance, and the many achievements of Black and brown Americans in different fields are largely being neglected in classrooms.

It is my sincere hope that sometime in the future we see Black history get ingrained into the curriculum throughout the year. As I mentioned in the introduction, the creator of Black History Week believed that it deserved to be expanded. In fact, he himself imagined a Black History Year as the evolution of his original concept.

If Woodson believed this back in the early 1900s, then we, in our modern day society, should be able to realize his vision. Learning about Black history year-round can not only help students better understand it, but also can help build a more unified, inclusive community.

Lastly, it is key that we recognize that Black history IS American history. America was literally built on the back of centuries worth of slavery. And on top of that, Black and brown people have done everything from helping America win the space race, to inventing the traffic signal, and performing the first ever successful open heart surgery! With so many incredible contributions, there is no reason why Black history should not be taught as American history. There is no point in making the differentiation, other than to divide.

In conclusion, schools should not limit their discussions of Black history to only one month. With the wide array of topics to talk about, the benefits that would come with lessons on it over the whole year, and the fact that Black history is American history, too, I see no reason for these confinements. I may only be 14 years old, but I hope that you listen to me when I say that the world would be so much better if we made every year Black History Year.

Quinlan Nesbit
North Adams, Mass. 

Quinlan is in Grade 8 at Berkshire Arts & Technology Public Charter School

North Adams, Pittsfield Mark King Day With Calls for Activism

By Tammy Daniels & Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:01PM / Monday, January 19, 2026

Alÿcia Bacon, community engagement officer for the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, speaks at the MLK service held Price Memorial AME Church in Pittsfield. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Wendy Penner can be found pretty much everywhere: leading local initiatives to address climate change and sustainability, championing public health approaches for substance abuse, and motivating citizens to defend their rights and the rights of others. 

 

That's all when she's not working her day job in public health, or being co-president of Congregation Beth Israel, or chairing the Williamstown COOL Committee, or volunteering on a local board. 

 

"Wendy is deeply committed to the Northern Berkshire community and to the idea of think globally, act locally," said Gabrielle Glasier, master of ceremonies for Northern Berkshire Community Coalition's annual Day of Service. 

 

Her community recognized her efforts with the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peacemaker Award, which is presented to individuals and organizations who have substantially contributed to the Northern Berkshires. The award has been presented by the MLK Committee for 30 years, several times a year at first and at the MLK Day of Service over the past 20 years. 

 

"This event is at heart a celebration of our national and local striving to live up to the ideals of Dr. King and his committed work for racial equality, economic justice, nonviolence and anti-militarism," said Penner. "There is so much I want to say about this community that I love, about how we show up for each other, how we demonstrate community care for those who are struggling, how we support and and celebrate the natural environment that we love and how we understand how important it is that every community member feels deserves to feel valued, seen and uplifted."

 

King's legacy is in peril "as I never could have imagined," she said, noting the accumulation of vast wealth at the top while the bottom 50 percent share only 2.5 percent the country's assets. Even in "safe" Massachusetts, there are people struggling with food and housing, others afraid to leave their homes. 

 

In response, the community has risen to organize and make themselves visible and vocal through groups such as Greylock Together, supporting mutual aid networks, calling representatives, writing cards and letters, and using their privilege to protect vulnerable community members.