By Dr. K.L. Allen
This February, as for many years past, Americans will mark Black History Month by celebrating the many achievements that black Americans have contributed to our national heritage.
But this look into the rearview mirror is something more than a celebration of the past, it’s also about our future.
And it’s not solely about black Americans.
For anyone who has struggled with barriers of inequity, poverty or stifled opportunity, this is a chance to use the lessons of history to take control of their own destiny and find their personal place in the next chapter of history.
As an educator who also happens to be black, I’m proud of that history and honored to be among those who were shaped by its lessons. I’m also well aware of the barriers that exist even today to hold back many Americans and defer their dreams.
I understand that none of us can rewrite history, nor can we fully control the obstacles that fate or society place in our way – but what we can do is create a path forward by overcoming challenges and creating opportunities.
Black History Month can inspire us toward those goals.
While the foundation of black history has been built on many pillars, to me the most essential force for progress through those years has been education. Beginning with struggles in the Civil Rights Era and continuing to the present day, education increasingly has been the hard-won key to achievement, self-confidence and earning power for many.
Over the past several decades, college enrollment among black students, as well as other groups, had been steadily increasing, contributing to progress in overall college attainment. However, the pandemic severely disrupted education, leading to significant declines in undergraduate enrollment, with historically underrepresented students, including black learners, those who were experiencing the sharpest drops.
These setbacks have stalled much of the progress made in advancing equity and access in higher education.
Simply put, reversing this trend is crucial to restoring and expanding America’s gains in college attainment and ensuring that all students have opportunities to succeed.
A leading reason for this decline is the growing financial cost of higher education, which continues to be a significant barrier for many students. Equally important, however, is the time required to complete a degree or workforce certification — a commitment that many adult learners, often juggling work and family responsibilities, simply cannot afford.
Fortunately, more and more colleges and universities are working to address these obstacles by keeping costs low, assisting with financial support and offering online learning that allows students to study from home and at their own pace.
Continued innovation in the delivery of advanced education is also essential. That’s an important factor to me, as a regional vice president of Western Governors University, a longtime innovator in online-only education that is particularly suited for adult learners who seek a diverse, inclusive learning environment.
None of us can rewrite history, but we can look at lessons from the past to inspire us in composing the history of what comes next. That requires preparing ourselves with the education, skills and resources needed to overcome whatever obstacles and inequities that threaten to block our way.
I firmly believe that acquiring a good education today will provide a voice for years to come for those who have had their dreams deferred by the pandemic, inequity or other challenges.
And so, Black History Month isn’t only about the past – it’s also our promise to the future.
Let’s resolve that those who will earn a starring role in the next chapter of history have been prepared with the education and skills the world can celebrate for generations to come. ••
Dr. K.L. Allen is regional vice president of online, nonprofit Western Governors University.
