As we begin celebrating Black History Month, we are mindful of the current situation in Memphis and the continued impact events such as this have on the Black community across the country, including colleagues within the Varsity Brands family. To our black co-workers, we are here to support you. To allies, please be sensitive to the fact that people are hurting and processing these events in very different ways.

Now more than ever, we should use Black History Month as an opportunity to educate ourselves on journeys that may be different than our own in order to be better teammates, friends and business partners and help us on our collective journey toward an inclusive environment for everyone.

The origins of Black History month can be traced back to 1926 when Carter Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History sponsored Negro History week in the second week of February – coinciding with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. President Gerald Ford was the first US President to officially recognize Black History Month in 1976. The month is an opportunity to recognize the history, culture and contributions of Black Americans while taking time to reflect on the past and look forward to a more just future.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has chosen the theme Black Resistance for Black History Month in 2023, focusing on the efforts of Black Americans who have fought against racial inequality – an endeavor that continues today. Since the end of the Civil War, numerous milestones have occurred in the struggle for racial justice, including the passage of the 14th and 15th amendments to the US Constitution, which provided for equal protection for people who had been enslaved and guaranteed the right of citizens right to vote regardless of race or color. Additionally, Supreme Court cases like Brown vs. The Board of Education acknowledged that “separate but equal” in education and other services was anything but equal. Despite this progress, inequities continued to exist and led to more focused efforts, including the creation of the NAACP in 1909, the Montgomery Bus Boycott of the 1950s, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Recent activities such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests surrounding the deaths of George Floyd and others reflect the fact that inequities still exist today.

The History of Black History Month

Employee Spotlight

Samantha Jones | CAD Designer, Herff Jones

Trailblazers in the Black Community

Claudette Colvin

15-year-old from Alabama who refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white person nine months before Rosa Parks. While Colvin’s actions were overshadowed due to her age, she is seen as having served as an inspiration for Parks and the subsequent Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955.

Ezell Blair Jr, David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil (The Greensboro Four):

In 1960, these 4 North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College students walked into a Woolworth’s, a white-only restaurant in Greensboro, NC and refused to leave despite being denied service in protest of segregation laws. Subsequently, 300 students joined the protest over the next four days, sparking demonstrations in 55 cities. Their efforts led to desegregation at Woolworths later that year.

Shirley Chisolm

In 1968, Ms. Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to Congress.  She founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 and became the first Black woman from a major political party to run for President of the US in 1972.

Thurgood Marshall

Chief Counsel of the NAACP.  In 1952, he presented the plaintiff’s case in the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case, which deemed public school segregation unconstitutional. In 1967 he became the first black US Supreme Court Justice, serving 24 years on the highest court.

Fannie Lou Hamer

Hammer was a tireless advocate for civil rights and helped register Black citizens to vote in the 1960s despite being arrested, assaulted and shot at. She was a featured speaker at the 1964 Democratic National Convention and shared what it was to be black in America.

Celebrating Black History Month

Culture

  • Watch a movie about the Black experience
    • “Summer of Soul” (Hulu)
    • “Let the World See” (Hulu)
    • “The 1619 Project” (Hulu)
    • “More than A Month” (PBS)
    • “Is That Black Enough for You?” (Netflix)
  • Read books by Black Authors
  • Pick a historic Black leader and learn more about their life
  • Visit a Black History or Civil Rights Museum

Inequality

    • Support Black-Owned Businesses
    • Donate to Black-led or non-profit organizations in your community
    • Contribute to a Mutual Aid organization
    • Become a member of the NAACP