Black History Month 2012

The month of February allows us each year to pause and acknowledge the cultural significance of Black History Month in this great nation, this state and particularly at the University of Georgia. 

We have enjoyed contributions of African Americans to our university community dating back to our desegregation in 1961, when Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes first enrolled at UGA and when Mary Frances Early became UGA’s first African American degree recipient two years later. 

Those contributions continue to be realized by and from the thousands of students of color who have walked through the Arch since then, and the even thousands more African American students, faculty, staff and alumni who live, work and play in our campus community today. 

Among those bright, shining stars is UGA researcher, Dr. Franklin West, who was recently recognized by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as one of the nation’s 40 most emerging scholars.  Another is U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones, an Athens native who currently serves as president of the UGA Alumni Association. 

Ms. Attawa Childers and Ms. Roberta Gardner both recently earned UGA’s President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award for their selfless contributions to others in our community.  Ms. Childers is a retired UGA employee who works with the Athens Area Teen Pageant, a mentoring program that encourages young African-American women to become involved in community service projects, while Ms. Gardner, a current doctoral student, has worked with The Prodigy Project, an organization dedicated to reducing the black male presence in the penal system.

They are each just examples of the quality of people we believe we attract, nurture, and value at this institution. We are proud of their accomplishments as members of the UGA family.

As we continue to cultivate a learning environment that is welcoming and inclusive to all, I am proud that UGA’s community is offering programming that allows us to celebrate Black History Month, and I hope that we will all take advantage of the many lectures, art exhibits, performances and other activities noted on our master calendar.

2012 Black History Month activities at the University of Georgia