UW-Madison organizations are working to organize Black History Month celebrations to commemorate legendary African-American leaders.
Leaders from the National Society of Black Engineers-Wisconsin Black Engineers Student Society wanted to organize Black History Month events that reveal more than contemporary views of black culture.
I would like people to know that it's not all about black history, but it is about history,"" Mia McKinney, programs chair of NSBE, said. ""I want people to be aware of things that we went through other than slavery ... not just the modern-day outlook of the African-American.""
Events including guest speakers, discussions and movie nights will take place on campus in honor of Black History Month.
""Instead of having regular black history poster boards and mediocre stuff that people have seen hundreds and thousands of times, we are doing something about black health awareness and soul food dinners where there will be '¦ all types of other cultural foods,"" McKinney said.
Ashley Johnson, assistant programs chair and secretary of NSOBE, said this year's celebration is not special just because of President Obama's election, but it is still significant that he won.
""The [election] has shown the African-American community that we can succeed and overcome any difficulty that is placed in front of us,"" she said. ""I feel that it opened a lot of people's eyes to actually celebrate what Black History Month is meant for.""
According to McKinney, although some have compared President Obama to Martin Luther King Jr., it is disrespectful to compare the two African-American leaders.
""They both have contributed great things to the society, but they are from two different rooms,"" she said. ""I feel like a lot of their dreams are similar '¦ but I don't like when people try to compare them because they are two different people with two different ways to impact the world.""
For more details about Black History Month events, visit www.news.wisc.edu.
