Honoring Black History Month

February 11, 2022

Dear Wolf Pack Family,

Black History Month is a time for sincere appreciation for the lasting contributions members of the Black/African-American community have made to our society. It should not be lost on us that Black History Month came about in large part due to the work of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an educator known as the “Father of Black History” whose life’s work was to ensure that history that had been never told — the history and achievements of Black people in our country — needed to be told. When President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month in 1976, you could hear echoes of Dr. Woodson, whose monument in the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Park includes the words, “Truth comes to us from the past.”

This truth comes in many forms. As we celebrate Black History Month and recognize many Black/African-Americans who have had a remarkable impact on U.S. history and U.S. culture, it is important to note that our University has had its share of Black/African-Americans who have left an indelible mark on the U.S. and the world. I believe their contributions are very much in the spirit of the “Wolf Pack Way,” where individuals give back to the communities in which they are a part, in order to help their communities become more inclusive, more tolerant, and just, for all. When I think of the contributions of our Black/African-American alumni, one of the first people who comes to mind is Marion Motley.

Many of our Wolf Pack community recognize Mr. Motley as a pro football player who helped desegregate professional football in the mid-1940s. However, he was much more. Mr. Motley was in the public spotlight during the 1940s and 1950s. This was a time where lynching and other abhorrent, violent action was directed toward the Black community. Individuals such as Marion Motley showed our nation what strength, persistence and dedication in the face of virulent racism looked like.

He wasn’t alone. During this approximate timeframe we witnessed the work of Dr. Charles R. Drew, whose groundbreaking research with blood storage and blood transfusions saved thousands of lives; Dr. Ralph Bunche, who became the first Black Nobel Peace Prize winner; Gwendolyn Brooks, who became the first Black Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winner; Juanita Hall, who became the first Black Tony Award winner; John Harold Johnson, who established Ebony and Jet magazines; Marian Anderson, who became first Black woman to perform a lead singing role with the Metropolitan Opera, among many, many others.

And among this honor roll of accomplishment was our own Marion Motley, who along with Bill Willis, Woody Strode and Kenny Washington broke professional football’s color barrier in 1946, a few months before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in spring 1947. In 1968, Marion Motley became the second Black player ever voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his hometown of Canton, Ohio.

This month we need to remember all of our Marion Motleys — individuals who made historic inroads and throughout the course of their notable lives attempted to make our society a better place. At our University, when we speak of Marion Motley, we must also speak of Wolf Pack alumni such as Colin Kaepernick, the Wolf Pack Hall of Fame member who is known the world over for his advocacy for social justice and human rights; or Stella Mason Parson, a longtime educator and the first Black woman to not only graduate from our University but to ever graduate from any institution of higher learning in the state of Nevada; or Bernice Mathews, a University graduate who became the first Black woman elected to the Nevada State Senate in November 1994 and was inducted into the Senate Hall of Fame in 2013, among many others.

This month, which should extend beyond February to the entire year, should be about learning about Black History, participating in activities and events that help grow our knowledge while also recognizing that the work and achievements of our Black students, faculty and staff are ongoing, today and every day, and are central to the success of our institutional mission.

You can celebrate Black History Month on our campus in a variety of ways, including:

• Participate in any of the many events sponsored or publicized by our Multicultural Center throughout February;
• Use a valuable database from University Libraries that can help you search for articles and information regarding Civil Rights and the Black Freedom Struggle in our nation;
• Check the University’s news hub, Nevada Today regularly throughout February for updates, information and stories related to Black History.

Throughout the entire year, let us always carry with us and honor what Black History Month means. That as we recognize those from our Black community who were instrumental in bringing about needed societal change, there is still a great deal of work that is still ahead of us in making our world a more just and equitable place. The truth comes to us from the past — provided we recognize this truth today.

Go Pack!

Sincere regards,

Brian Sandoval
President