BOISE, Idaho — Idaho News 6 honors Black History Month with a spotlight on Idaho political trailblazer Cheri Buckner-Webb.

• Black History Month
• Cherie Buckner-Webb is a human rights advocate
• Buckner-Webb is so proud of what African Americans have contributed to Idaho

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)

“Black history is part of Idaho History”. Fifth-generation Idahoan Cherie Buckner-Webb almost gushes when she talks about African Americans’ role in the shaping of our state. “Black people have been here forever, we got black cowboys, black miners, we got black people who helped build downtown. Boise we are a parcel of what makes this great, wonderful.”

We met in the latest Boise park named after Boise’s iconic women. From Julia Davis to Ann Morrison and Kathyrn Albertson, Cherie Buckner Webb Park is a peaceful stop on a busy downtown corner, named in honor of what the city called a human rights advocate and political trailblazer. “That blows me away. That is so cool. I am humbled beyond belief, beyond belief.”

 Buckner-Webb made news when she was elected Idaho’s first elected African American state legislator and its first African American woman legislator. “I didn’t run to be the first of anything, I ran as I hope everyone would because of purpose and caring for our community.”

 Buckner-Webb encourages everyone to visit the Black History Museum in Julia Davis Park, and it’s not by chance that it ended up there. “When St.Paul’s Baptist church, was at their original building off of Broadway, my great grandfather was pastor there and it was important to make the church into a museum for the next generation. We are not new to this but we are true to this all this Idaho.”

And does what this mean for future generations who want to serve their communities?

 “But it gives others not just from my race or ethnicity or background or gender, the opportunity, if she can do it, I can do it. It opens the door.”

 Cherie Buckner-Webb has definitely opened the door for all of us to be better neighbors and better Idahoans.