As Black History Month wraps up in the U.S., Boylan Catholic wishes to take the opportunity to share one student's perspective on what this celebration of the black community means to him.
Senior Donavan Hanserd reflects on his own experience as a young black person in today's world, and what it means to encourage diversity at Boylan Catholic:
Black History Month is not just a time to commemorate pivotal moments and figures in Black history but it is a platform to amplify black voices, celebrate black achievements, and confront ongoing struggles for equity and justice. Being a young black man in America comes with a lot of stress and fear, but it also comes with earned success and grit. Prominent figures such as Barack Obama, Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Michael Jordan, Tupac Shakur, and more have all earned the highest level of success due to their determination to become the best version of themselves. Being black is a gift. The adversity we face gives us a reason to work harder than ever.
Being young and black, I have always been aware of the disadvantages we blacks face on a daily basis, but I have never thought that I would actually experience it firsthand. As I have grown older, personal experiences, ranging from uncomfortable to traumatic, have made me realize that even as a Honor Roll student and community leader at Boylan, I am not immune to strangers making assumptions about me because of the color of my skin. I realized that even though we constantly face unfair treatment, black men and women still find success in a world full of inequality. Through this success, black culture has become popular and influential in the lives of people in every community.
Black culture is one of the most recognized cultures in the world. As I grew up, sports, hip-hop, fashion, black TV, and comedy was all I knew. Athletes like Kobe Bryant and Michael Vick, Hip-Hop artists such as Jay-Z and Drake, fashion icons like Virgil Abloh and Pharell, actors like Will Smith and Tyler Perry, and comedians such as Kevin Hart and Martin Lawrence are all generational black talents in these areas of our culture that I was most familiar with. I wasn’t aware of how much black culture influences society until I reached middle school. Bits and pieces of black culture were used by my peers everyday, yet they didn’t even know it. Whether it was wearing gold chains, Tupac shirts, or listening to Drake, black culture was everywhere and continues to be present in today’s society.
Specifically at Boylan Catholic High School, black culture is shown in a variety of ways. Sports is the main contributor that showcases black culture at Boylan. Athletes such as Lee Lampley ‘94 and Anthony Brown ‘20 in basketball, Trey Malone ‘20 in football, Netavia ‘24 and Dathan ‘21 Wickson in wrestling, Rasheed Johnson ‘24 and Dayvion Foreman ‘20 in track, and Willie Young ‘94 in baseball are all champions in their sports and representatives of black culture at Boylan. In addition, Boylan encourages an inviting environment for different races with the Student Diversity Club. The club includes all races, and meetings bring together a diverse group of people from contrasting backgrounds. We learn about different cultures and heritages, which permits students to grow in a variety of ways and learn of the importance of having diversity in our world. Encouraging diversity is a positive experience for everyone because it allows for learning of different cultures, equality, and student achievement.
Growing up, I didn’t truly understand the significance of Black History Month. I now know that it is a month to bring us together and celebrate being black as something that makes us strong. But just one month of celebration isn’t enough time to truly recognize the past and present struggles we blacks face. The black community looks forward to a lifetime of celebration as we overcome racism and violence every day to rise above and continue to stun the world.