U.S Embassy Celebrates Black History Month

When staff from the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section (PAS) interrupted classes at Chaminade, Tukombo and Bandawe secondary schools in Malawi’s northern region to show the film Akeelah and the Bee, in commemoration of Black History Month, some students and teachers wondered, “Why come all this way to show a movie?”  They soon realized that beyond celebrating African American heritage in the United States, the film was rich in motivation for students to set goals and achieve them.  Akeelah and the Bee brought tears and cheers from visibly impressed student audiences each time it was screened.  

The movie, featuring a top-notch cast of African American stars, resonated with students who face all sorts of pressures in their fight to complete secondary school and land a university place.  Students applauded young Akeelah’s success in a spelling competition -overcoming inner city pressures, cultural stereotypes, and prejudice, and “spelling” her way out of the ghetto.  
“So, did this really happen?” asked a Form 1 student at Chaminade Secondary School, who wants to become a lawyer.  During the Q & A between the students and Embassy staff at the end of the screening, the consensus was that “victory only comes from hard work, discipline and self-sacrifice.”

On the sidelines of the movie screening, Education Advisor Martin Kanjadza and Information Resource Center (IRC) Director Gift Kadzamira and other PAS staff engaged students about college education opportunities in the United States and the information resources available at the IRC in Lilongwe and the American Corners at Chancellor College in Zomba, the Polytechnic College in Blantyre and Mzuzu University in Mzuzu. 

The Public Affairs Section also screened Tuskegee Airmen and Amistad for older secondary school and college students in Lilongwe and Blantyre in commemoration of Black History Month.  Throughout February’s activities, Embassy staff engaged over 6500 secondary school and college students with similar events.   Since 1926, February has commemorated African American history, celebrating the important people and events in the history of the African diaspora alongside the incomplete progress of racial equality in America.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson is credited with initiating the celebration.  Dr. Woodson was born to former slaves in New Canton, Buckingham County, Virginia on December 19, 1875, and spent his childhood working in Kentucky’s coal mines.  He enrolled in high school at the age of twenty and graduated within two years.  He attended Harvard University where he earned a Ph.D.     

The celebration of Black History Month is one of the Embassy’s major programming and outreach efforts each year.