Black History Month Assembly Speaker Reminds Audience of the Importance of Knowing One鈥檚 History
麻豆短视频传媒 (KSU) celebrated its Black History Month Assembly on February 27, 2025.
The assembly included musical performances by the KSU Concert Choir and Mugisha Donatien, also known as 鈥淒rippaDaDon,鈥� as well as a spoken word performance by Fatou Saidykhan.
Dr. Erin Wiggins Gilliam, a KSU alumna and former professor of history at KSU, provided the keynote address. She currently serves as the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at Edward Waters University.
Dr. Gilliam encouraged the assembly to uncover their past as a means of discovering their future.
鈥淵ou have a responsibility to know and teach your history accurately and in truth. Knowing our history empowers and informs the future,鈥� said Dr. Gilliam.
鈥淟et鈥檚 take it all in 鈥� who we are, where we鈥檙e from, and the greatness we possess. In learning and teaching our history, it is imperative to take the time to reflect on the legacy and continuing purpose of historically black colleges and universities. It is your opportunity to learn, build, connect, and engage and discover who you are,鈥� she said.
Dr. Gilliam urged students to seek out knowledge and use that knowledge to not only bring about the vision they have for their lives, but to also share that knowledge to empower others.
鈥淚n knowing, wipe out all fear, speak life into everything you do, and don鈥檛 let the political culture or the people around you dictate what you choose to feed your mind and the vision you have for yourself and your village. But again, it鈥檚 your responsibility to learn and tell a true story - a true history,鈥� said Dr. Gilliam.
She continued, 鈥淥ne of the most powerful things to possess in this world is to be steeped in your history - to know your history. There is no higher honor than paying tribute to your ancestors with your knowledge, your greatness, and your accomplishments. So, learn it, live it, walk in it, proclaim it, and breathe the greatness that is within you.鈥�
To watch the full recording of the assembly, visit .