This February at Bryn Mawr, students across divisions took the lead in celebrating Black History Month in a way that centered their experiences and reflected on issues that are important to them. At Bryn Mawr, we believe a diversity of opinions and backgrounds are fundamental to an exceptional education. As we work to move towards achieving equity and true inclusion, highlighting diverse voices and experiences enriches our collective learning and empowers every student to use their bold voice to tell their own story. Read on to see some of the ways each division celebrated Black History Month. 

While the assembly focused on hair, the topic was used to highlight just one of the ways that people of color are still struggling to be treated as equals simply because of who they are. The presentation opened with the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” written at a pivotal time, when Jim Crow was replacing slavery and African-Americans were searching for identity. Today, the song is still important to Black culture and made headlines when Beyoncé, the first Black woman to headline Coachella, performed it at the music festival in 2018. It still provides an important framework upon which to imagine and build a more hopeful and love-filled future for everyone.

Senior Mya Gary delivered a thoughtful and moving convocation speech about the power of stereotypes, and how they have been a defining factor in her life. Gary left the audience with an important message about bias, saying, “Whether you deem them acceptable or bad, stereotypes set certain expectations, and as we all know, expectations can be damaging. We all have implicit biases, but it is our responsibility as human beings to control them and let the people we meet change them.” Watch her full speech below.