During the month of February students, faculty, and organizations have taken time to acknowledge, educate, and celebrate Black History Month. The week of February 22, members of Brother-to-Brother (B2B) painted the rock in the center of campus in honor of historical figures and events within black history. It is important that as a college community that we provide an opportunity for education and appreciation for all cultures, which is something that B2B takes pride in as a student-led group at Marietta College. As a fellow student and peer, I wanted to provide my own opportunity for B2B members to use their voice and share their thoughts about Black History Month and their efforts as a group with others.
Photo by Robert Nelson
After reaching out to leaders and executive board members involved with B2B on-campus, it is clear that this month is a perfect time to amplify their voices in order to inspire, educate, and appreciate black history with fellow Pioneers.
AJ Sallee is a junior at Marietta College and the President of Brother-to-Brother. He has acted in this leadership position for three semesters. Sallee previously held the position of secretary for their organization for one semester as well. “I believe my role in B2B is important as we are trying to create a safe space for minority male students, especially black students, to share their ideas, struggles, and stories so that we can grow closer together. There is little to no representation on Marietta College campus for black students and we want to create a home for black male students so they do not feel ostracized on this campus,” said Sallee. He also considers B2B as a “home away from home” where he is able to be surrounded by people like himself, and create bonds with them in an “organic” way.
Sallee explained their design for painting the rock in honor of Black History Month this year. “We will be writing significant dates and symbols on the rock. We believe that these dates will show how recent the black community has been affected by social and justice and other forms of discrimination,” said Sallee. The painted rock is located next to the McDonough Leadership building across from Legacy Library, for those who are interested in viewing their efforts in-person. Sallee explained that they could have contributed to celebrating Black History Month in other ways, but “we are reworking the organization to fit the needs of all members, so we are just going to paint the rock this year.”
Danny McCartney is a Marietta College senior and the Vice President of B2B. “Being a member of B2B is important to me because it gives us a safe space on campus to be able to engage each other in conversation and thought with those that can relate to us,” said McCartney.
When asked about his thoughts on the significance of Black History Month he said, “The biggest thing about Black History Month is educating others on black history, but more than just the MLK’s, Jackie Robinson’s, and so on. People need to be educated on the history of not only our trails, but our triumphs; the unsung heroes like Madam C.J. Walker, Bayard Rustin, along with many others need to be recognized as well.”
I asked other B2B members for suggestions on how we as a college and a community can improve our knowledge of black history, as well as ways we can contribute to the celebration and appreciation of black history moving forward. Artemii Stepanets is a sophomore at MC and another B2B member. “Brother-to-Brother is a family, community, and a brotherhood that I am proud to be a part of,” said Stepanets. Much like AJ and Danny, he considers the organization to be a safe place where people can be with likeminded individuals who share similar goals with one another; “it is a family that strives forward to help each other in succeeding and accomplishing the next task. I appreciate being a part of that family and hope B2B continues growing through the coming years,” said Stepanets.
He offered some suggestions to Marietta College as a whole concerning how we can improve together to amplify the voices of black students and faculty, as well as educate and appreciate black history in the future. “Due to COVID-19, the best plan of action would be to host zoom meetings, find speakers to speak to students and faculty, and hand out educational flyers to the student body,” said Stepanets.
Another member of B2B is Jonathan McWhite, a junior at Marietta College. “To me, being a part of B2B means that I belong to a group of guys that talk about what’s happening on campus and occasionally has events that gather some forced attention,” said McWhite. He had a different perspective on the attention and efforts related to Black History Month compared to his peers: “I personally believe that a simple way to celebrate Black History Month is to just acknowledge it and move forward. For me, there is little need to have a whole event go on when almost no one cares about it,” said McWhite.
As a community of students and faculty, we must create an environment for a range of perspectives. We can do better by acknowledging the month of February as a time to celebrate black history. However Black History Month is not the only opportunity to educate, appreciate and celebrate people and events within black history. It is important that we continue starting conversations and creating positive representation for black students and faculty at Marietta College.
Brother-to-Brother members are doing their part this month and in the months following to educate themselves and others on black history. We must do our part by listening to their words, acknowledging their efforts, and creating an inclusive community – even once Black History Month ends.
By Kylee McBride
