When historian Carter G. Woodson proposed the idea of Black History Month in 1926, he said:

“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

Woodson knew that history has power. He understood its ability to incite change, preserve culture, unite communities and inspire generations. But he also knew that history is fragile. It can be distorted or erased. His fight to establish Black History Month was a fight to ensure that we did not forget the lives and struggles of the Americans whose feats continue to shape who we are as a nation.

Thanks to the work and dedication of Carter Woodson, we join together in the month of February to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Black Americans, who have changed our nation for the better. Many of these leaders, heroes and visionaries called our Capital Region home.

• Battle of Saratoga: African Americans played pivotal role in America’s struggle for independence, including the 1777 Battles of Saratoga, where 400 black soldiers bravely fought alongside white soldiers. Due to the military’s segregation policy, this would be the last time black and white soldiers fought together until the Korean War, more than 150 years later.
  
  
• Stephen and Harriet Myers: Stephen and his wife Harriet Myers were active in New York’s Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves to freedom for nearly 30 years. Stephen Myers, born into slavery, went on to fund the Northern Star and Freeman’s Advocate, a leading abolitionist newspaper based out of an office on Green Street in Albany.
  
  
• Edmonia Lewis: Born in Rensselaer County, Edmonia Lewis was a legendary sculptor during our Civil War. She gained international fame and recognition for her work incorporating themes relating to black people and indigenous peoples of the Americas into Neoclassical-style sculpture.
  
  
• William Henry Johnson: After moving to Albany and working at various jobs, Sergeant Henry Johnson enlisted in the army to fight in World War I, joining the all-Black New York National Guard 15th Infantry Regiment. For his bravery and service, he earned the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme, becoming one of the first Americans ever to be awarded France's highest award for valor.
  
  
• Wendell King: Even at an early age, Wendell King was a visionary in the new field of radio, starting one of our region’s first amateur radio stations from his home in North Troy at age 12. He went on to become an engineer at General Electric in 1917, shattering boundaries in workplace equality and continuing to ‘make waves’ in innovating radio engineering throughout his life.
  
  
• Shirley Ann Jackson:  Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, the current President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is the first African-American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT and became the first African-American woman to lead a top-ranked research university. Her achievements in public service and in theoretical physics have been nothing short of remarkable. In fact, Time Magazine has called Dr. Jackson "perhaps the ultimate role model for women in science."
  

It would be impossible for me to express, in one short list or one short month, the incredible breadth and depth of achievements and contributions that Black Americans have made that have improved countless lives and strengthened our communities. Even a comprehensive history inevitably leaves out many whose ingenuity and accomplishments have been ignored or overlooked in the history of our nation, omissions born of a destructive legacy of racism, prejudice and fear.

We are stronger, and truer to America’s greatest principles, when we reclaim and share these stories, not just during Black History Month, but at every opportunity. We honor this sacred obligation for those who have come before, for ourselves and for generations to come.

As we reflect on the history of our past, we also celebrate the countless young leaders, advocates and organizers who continue the fight to fulfill the promise of America:

That all are created equal,

That we are endowed by our creator by inalienable rights,

And that life and freedom of opportunity are always among them.

Thank you for your bravery, your strength and your integrity that continue to shape our nation and what it means to be an American.