Originally posted in The Rawlings-Blake Review, Issue #191

Today is the last day of Black History Month. For 28 days, we have looked back on the history that has been made by people of color in our city and our nation. We have reverently remembered their struggles and enriched our own lives by expanding our understanding of how the past informs our present. This month, I have been truly inspired by not only our forebears, but also the promise of a rising generation that honors the legacy and culture that have come down to us through the years and continue to thrive.

This week I hosted students from Reginald F. Lewis High School of Business and Law and Frederick Douglass High School for a screening of Rise! The Road to Civil Rights (1940 – 1968), an episode of the PBS documentary miniseries The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. Following the film, the students participated in a discussion with myself and our panelists—retired Chief Judge Robert M. Bell of the Maryland Court of Appeals and Professor Larry S. Gibson of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. It was a great honor to share the stage with these distinguished men.

The film and our panel discussion reflected on a period of particular hardship for many in our nation. But the Civil Rights Movement was also a time of great promise and bravery. It was a time when ordinary citizens reached deep within themselves to effect lasting change. This is a message that I was eager to share with these students—the idea that the age of social activism and community involvement are not over, and that change for Baltimore’s future will be built by our most tenacious and courageous citizens.

The impact that Black History has had on our everyday lives, and on our media, arts, and culture, was joyously apparent this week as the Paul Laurence Dunbar and Frederick Douglass Senior High School Jazz Bands spent the day in the rotunda of City Hall, performing for City employees and visitors. They were awesome! I want to thank these talented students, who put their hearts and souls into sharing the sounds of the jazz legends of years past. It was encouraging to watch them make history their own as they paid tribute to Black History. I look forward to seeing what this generation has in store as it continues to build upon that legacy.

I am also glad to know that this rising generation has great mentors and leaders to rely upon in their journey. This week I was thrilled to host the inaugural Mayor’s Divine Nine Presidents Awards. During this awards ceremony at City Hall, we took time to recognize members of the “Divine Nine” historically black fraternities and sororities for their service to Baltimore. The organizations of the Divine Nine—formally the National Pan-Hellenic Council—have served as beacons to our young adults and have continued to demonstrate a commitment to service in our communities. The Mayor’s Divine Nine Presidents Awards honored specific individuals who have exhibited the highest degree of ethics, professional conduct, leadership and initiative.

As Black History Month draws to a close, I am heartened to know that Baltimore has a bright future ahead. I encourage you to continue in a spirit of reflection throughout the year. The lessons of the past are one of the most powerful tools we possess as we work to build a better Baltimore.