Monday, Feb. 1, marks the start of Black History Month.

Schools, churches, civic organizations and businesses of all types, including the media and public television, begin paying special attention to African-Americans and their long history of political, cultural, social and civic contributions to the building of this nation.

Here at the Richmond Free Press, we believe that history is made every day. And as we enter our 25th year of operation, we remain the only independent media voice in Greater Richmond committed to telling the stories of life and events involving our community that scholars and African-American history programs will be based upon in the future.

When many of us were in school, Black History Month either wasn’t recognized or it was relegated to a week — Black History Week. That’s when the handful of “cool” black teachers at Richmond’s newly desegregated schools got the spotlight and the microphone at the school assembly and tried to convey lessons about historical figures that should be a part of everyone’s knowledge base.

Hopefully, today, Black History lessons are part of the everyday school curriculum and not left to a week or a month of special focus. 

When scholar Carter G. Woodson of Virginia established Negro History Week in the early 1900s, it wasn’t just for history’s sake. By celebrating Black History Month, we are celebrating change. We are marking the movement forward of this nation and the men, women and children — the change agents — who have helped propel that progress. We are remembering those who brought freedom, helped win the vote, broke down barriers of race, gender, religion and region, whose personal endurance and commitment to education and opportunity and equal rights and justice and excellence resulted in personal achievement while paving the way and opening doors for others.

During this month — and throughout the year — we ask that our readers participate in programs where they can see, hear and be inspired by those whose histories already are in the books, speakers such as Wyatt T. Walker of Chesterfield, who was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s lieutenant; the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago, who attended VUU and later became a spiritual adviser to President Obama; and L. Douglas Wilder of Richmond, the first African-American in the nation to be elected governor.

All are on programs scheduled within the next few days. Take yourself, take your kids, take your family to hear them.

While we celebrate the change and the change agents who have moved this nation closer to the promises of freedom and equality upon which it was built, we must recognize that we, too, have a role in fostering that change.

When we went to the ballot box and cast a vote for Doug Wilder or Barack Obama, we helped create the change we now celebrate. When we or our parents or grandparents marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or picketed segregated stores and lunch counters in Downtown, when we now voice our opinions and make recommendations before City Council or the School Board or at community meetings, when we contact our elected representatives, or spend time working with young people, we are helping to create change. Your work, your actions, your vote will be the change that will be written about tomorrow as our history.

Remember, Black History is not just a day, a week or a month. It’s change over a lifetime.