What does Black History Month mean to you?

Throughout Black History Month, Pond Lehocky’s DEI Committee has been committed to listening and learning. They asked our team what this important awareness month means to them. Here is what some of them had to say:

“As a white male who grew up in a rural New England town, I was not aware of social inequalities until I became more educated.  It was not until I went to College and majored in History that I began to understand fully what people of color really had to face in order to achieve something that I thought was simply attainable through hard work.  To me, Black History Month is honoring the pioneers of the past who battled through the inequities that were engrained in our society in order to give people of the future the opportunities that they fought to secure,” – Michael J. Parker.

“For me, my involvement in Black History Month is be a better listener.  My sole focus on being a student – learning about different issues, history, stories, and perspectives so I can be more of service in areas I’m not naturally as exposed to learn from and experience. Black History Month is an opportunity to listen and learn – to be more empathetic in understanding the experiences I will never fully grasp but will try my hardest to get as close to understanding as possible, so I can be a part of the healthy change needed from our local neighborhood to the entire nation and beyond.” – Nik Rose.

What does Black History Month mean to you? Let us know!