News and Events
By Esther Ekanem
We sampled members of our diverse congregation and got their feedback on the question: What does Black History month and our observation of Cultural Day mean to you? Below are their interesting responses.
Taiwo Oladapo: “To me, it’s all about what we as Blacks have been through and where we’re going. It’s also about remembering our heritage and where God has brought us from. Our observation of Cultural Day is a celebration of our unique differences in the gospel of Christ.”
Winnie Mobolurin: “Black History month is a time when we celebrate things we’ve gone through in the past. Cultural Day is a time to consider all the different cultures we come from and how God has brought us here together. It shows that despite our differences, God has made us one.”
Monique McElveen: “Black History celebrates the history of Black people and the struggle they went through during slavery and segregation. Black history also lets me know that I am black history itself in the making! Cultural Day to me means accepting the many different cultures that exist in our church.”
Taylor Coleman: “To me Black History means the hard times Blacks went through and the legacy they left. Cultural Day is when everyone comes together to celebrate their culture.”
Bode Akundayo: “Black History Month is a month set apart for Black people to recognize their history, past, and the challenges that African Americans overcame. The past gives us hope in any situation because we can look forward to a better future. Cultural Day is a day that is set apart to recognize the different cultures and ethnic groups that make up our church family, and to appreciate the cultural differences that make us one.”
Rose M.: “Voting is very important to me. Blacks fought to vote and woman had to fight to vote; Black History month always puts me in remembrance of this. Cultural Day is an opportunity for our diverse church family to come together and learn about each other’s cultures. We need diversity in our lives in order to get through life!”
Annie Ruth Reid: “The most important thing about Black History Month is where I’ve come from and the things I’m now able to do. It means so much to me because as a little black girl, I had to be escorted to school in Selma, Alabama. It means so much to me because as a teen I had to sit in the back of the bus while whites sat at the front. It means so much to me because I remember there was a time when, if I was in a store and a white entered after me, they would be waited on first. I do appreciate the many people like Martin Luther King Jr. who fought for my rights and gave me the opportunity to work at the Pentagon. Formerly the ladies room in the Pentagon was painted black, but First Lady Roosevelt made a change so that all bathrooms were painted the same color. I thank God that I can now live wherever I wish to live. Most importantly, I thank God for my salvation. Cultural Day also means a lot to me because I’m black and I’ve been able to meet so many multicultural people at church.”