MONTVALE, N.J.—Throughout February, the Montvale Diversity and Inclusion Committee celebrated Black history by encouraging residents to read books highlighting Black authors and characters.
The committee partnered with the libraries at Memorial Elementary and Fieldstone Middle School and the Montvale Public Library to provide students and residents of all ages with lists of books featuring Black authors and characters.
On Monday, Feb. 22, committee members Riley Solomon and Alyssa Linardic presented book donations, which the committee had purchased from the Parent Teacher Organization’s Scholastic Book Fair fundraiser, to Montvale Public Schools Superintendent Darren Petersen at the board of education meeting.
According to Amaka Auer, who chairs the Montvale Diversity and Inclusion Committee, “This initiative positively impacted students by not only increasing availability of diverse literature, but also by raising money for the schools.”
Black History Month was first proposed by black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, from Jan. 2 to Feb. 28, 1970.
Six years later, Black History Month was being celebrated all across the country. President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976, during the star-spangled celebration of the United States Bicentennial. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often-neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”