Celebrating Black History Month

Dear UAA Community,

History and heritage months provide an opportunity to learn about, appreciate and celebrate our diverse cultural identities. This includes celebrating our own identities, as well as learning about cultures that are different from our own. In making space to discuss the struggles and triumphs of those who came before us, we affirm the contributions that all peoples make toward the ongoing creation of not only American society, but the broader human experience.

Through the YouAA Committee, UAA will offer education and programming related to various history and heritage months. Information on each month can be found on the UAA Diversity webpage and regular monthly posts on the Student Life and Chief Diversity Officer social media accounts. You will also find heritage months highlighted in UAA’s internal e-newsletters, Seawolf Daily and Seawolf Students.

I invite you to join the UAA community in a wide variety of events in celebration of Black History Month, which begins today. The events range from poetry, comedy and rap to a documentary on bias built into software and a lecture on intra-racial and transnational politics. I also encourage you to learn more about the broad history of African Americans by exploring the website of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

You can learn more about the achievements and contributions of Alaska’s Black communities by reading the recent book by UAA history professor Dr. Ian Hartman, Black History in the Last Frontier, which is available free for download from the National Park Service.

As we have reiterated in UAA 2025, our new strategic plan, UAA is fully committed to embracing our diversity and creating a culture of equity and inclusion. The celebrations and learning opportunities surrounding history and heritage months are only one part of the plan. As opportunities arise, I hope you will participate in our collective efforts to create an institution that belongs to all peoples.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Booz
Chief Diversity Officer

January Archive