Editor’s Note: The repulsive and abhorrent attack of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michele Obama posted last week on President Trump’s Truth Social account is just one more indication of the overt racism that is overtaking our nation today. The attacks by ICE, the efforts to manipulate the upcoming election and this obnoxious characterization of the Obamas is a national cry for help. Every attack on freedom and justice must be called out and rebutted. Paying attention to Black History and supporting DEI and school curriculums that tell the truth about America’s history are essential to the push back. 

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how the backlash against advancing racial justice in America makes it more important than ever to pay attention to celebrations like the recent Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Today I offer reflections on why it matters for all of us to learn from Black History as we nationally celebrate Black History Month. (Read more on how Black History Month began and how Republican President Gerald Ford made it a national observance in 1976.)

Seeing thousands of people in Minnesota protesting the ruthless tactics of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency was a reminder of lessons from Black history and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Some demonstrators, like civil rights activists decades ago, were trained in nonviolent tactics. Churches and advocacy organizations offered training on interacting with ICE and responding to threats of violence.

The 2022 book Waging a Good War: A Military History of the Civil Rights Movement, 1954–1968 by Thomas E. Ricks highlights the importance of nonviolent training to the movement’s success. James Lawson, who protested the Korean War in the 1950s, later mentored Diane Nash, a Fisk University student in Nashville. Together, they shaped a generation of civil rights leaders.

Lawson taught that demonstrations should follow investigation, education, and negotiation. “The purpose of the demonstrations,” Nash explained, “was to focus the attention of the community on the issue, and the injustice.”

Leaders such as John Lewis and Marion Barry benefited from this emphasis on nonviolent principles, applying them in protests, in Congress (Lewis), and as Mayor of Washington, DC (Barry).

Another powerful lesson in discipline and humility was the role of Bayard Rustin in bringing together a coalition of leaders and organizations with conflicting priorities to organize the 1963 March on Washington. Despite attacks for being openly gay, Rustin kept the coalition together, helping make the march successful and contributing to the passage of the Civil Rights Act.  His leadership is highlighted in the 2023 documentary, Rustin, a great educational film for our times.  

A 2026 Martin Luther King birthday celebration in a local concert hall in our community offered a musical tribute titled Kings of Soul. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra accompanied three accomplished African American singers performing classics including “Soul Man,” “Get Ready,” “Stand By Me,” “Move on Up,” and “Dance to the Music.”

The orchestra was led by African American conductor Byron Stripling, whose engaging and humble leadership stood out. The three singers — Chester Gregory, Michael Lynche, and Darren Lorenzo — were accomplished performers who embraced teamwork to serve the shared purpose of a successful concert. It became both a musical gift and a lesson in shared leadership.

Supported by a mostly white, 80-plus-member Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the performance highlighted the power of coordination and respect.

Demonstrations and orchestras are messier from the inside than they appear to observers. Both offer lessons about working toward a shared purpose by respecting and collaborating with others.

Paying attention to Black History Month is an opportunity to learn what it takes to fight nonviolently against oppression and to advance freedom and justice for all. Check out Black History offerings in your community and your local media and see what you might learn that could make a difference in today’s struggle for justice.