BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Black Americans’ contributions to culture, art, science, medicine and more have long-reaching effects that benefit U.S. residents daily. February was officially designated Black History Month in 1976, and it’s a time to highlight key historical events and look at how the past has shaped us and how progress will change the future.
NBC 33 WVLA and Fox 44 WGMB’s “Honoring Black History” special includes stories about places and people in your neighborhood and state.
The Louisiana Civil Rights Museum highlights key moments in our state’s past and shows how these events fit in with the national movement.
Black veterans say they faced racism in uniform. Hear how they carry on the legacy of those who served before them.
Business leaders say there’s power in the Black dollar. See what they think can be done to add wealth to the Black community.
Band leaders and members at historically Black colleges and universities talk about what it takes to put on showstopping performances, often on a higher budget than other schools.
The only granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King shared information on her picturebook which she hopes carries a message of hope to younger generations.
The Louisiana Civil Rights Museum is the result of decades of work to gather information and artifacts important to the state.
“To be able to capture those stories, while many of those people are still alive, to tell the story in their words, is pretty incredible,” said Louisiana Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser.
Civil Rights Movement exhibits are on display inside the N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. An AI experience lets people talk to historic figures and be in the 1967 march from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge.
“It’s something first off, we didn’t learn in school. It’s recognizing some heroes, some brave men and women that stood up in that time. It tells a story,” said Nungesser.
Louisiana is home to 80,000 Black veterans and three talk about their experiences fighting in a war and against racism.
Byron K. Comeaux served more than 20 years. Dr. Clarence A. Becknell was drafted the same year Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, and Terry Jackson survived suicide bombings in Iraq.
They cited the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers, who paved the way for Black people to serve in the military, and said they’re carrying the same torch to help others.
“If we did not do what we did, and endured what we did, what about those young Black soldiers that are coming after us?” Becknell said.
The River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville holds important pieces of Louisiana history. The organization maintains a former Rosenwald school and one of the first sugarcane planting machines created by two Black men.
The Rosenwald school is one of three in the same condition as when it was built as part of a learning initiative across the South to benefit Black children.
Two local brothers helped develop one of the first sugarcane planting machines, which revolutionized the industry.
Black business leaders are working to build wealth within the North Baton Rouge community.
William Bates bought the strip mall his menswear store was in three years after opening. He said the idea of owning your own business and using creativity to make opportunities for others is an important way to increase your finances while transforming the neighborhood.
The North Baton Rouge Chamber encourages financial literacy so people make smart investments and business-to-business networking so local entrepreneurs can learn from and help each other.
Dozens of historically Black colleges and university (HBCU) bands travel across the country, or the world, playing on large platforms and stages. We take a look at the unique culture, talent and techniques that make the look and sound of an HBCU band stand out.
“Most people will know college — HBCU, college bands — before they actually know the school,” said Rodney Terrell Jr., graduating senior and former master drill at Grambling State University.
The band members put in many hours of practice to put on high-energy performances with rich, complex arrangements and visually tantalizing movement. It acts as a recruitment tool for the schools.
“They don’t have the resources like some other schools. They don’t have the facilities like other schools, but they are always showing up. And not only just showing up, but they show out and they continue to make people feel good,” said Dr. Kedric Taylor, director of bands at Southern University.
Yolanda Renee King is sharing a new message of hope for kids with her book.
The 15-year-old is the sole granddaughter of civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
She said she’s always been surrounded by recordings of her grandfather’s speeches and is concerned about the same issues. Young people, she said, are already helping shape the world they want to see in the future.
“He left us behind homework,” she explained. “And I feel like we’ve been procrastinating on that homework.”
