We went to Orlando Taylor to ask an important question about Black History Month, observed each February.
For Taylor鈥攁 poet, an academic, and a proud gay Black man鈥攖his month carries great meaning. We asked him why this month should matter, not just to the Black community, but to all of us?
鈥淚n all honesty, the experience of Black America is very much tied to the history and proliferation of American culture around the world,鈥� the 吃瓜头条 English Professor said.
鈥淭his month is important, and not only for the clich茅 of knowing who we are to avoid repeating mistakes of the past. 鈥� Black History month provides a mirror for us to question: Are we where we鈥檙e supposed to be?”
Taylor, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Mathematics from Truman State University and a master鈥檚 in English Creative Writing from National University, has wrestled with that question for a long time, like while teaching in public schools and community colleges in both red (Texas) and blue (California) states.
As a young student himself, Taylor found encouragement in an unabridged dictionary his older sister bought for him when he was a boy. Taylor remembers the size of it alone gave him 鈥渕ental cardiac arrest,鈥� but it became his most precious resource.
Words filled his blood, books became a second skin and the local library, his other home. By age 12, Taylor had found mentors in the writers of the Harlem Renaissance. He learned to write and found mountains he had to climb through poetry.
In English courses now, he encourages his students to do what he did: Seek out artists wherever they can be found, especially the voices that are rarely heard or appreciated in America. Many of those voices will surround us in the art, poetry and music we鈥檒l all be taking in during Black History Month.
鈥淲e need more of that right now,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淟ooking at a piece like Guernica (by Pablo Picasso, showing the brutality of World War II), we understand that creatives have a strong hold on the issues of the time. The value of expressions of culture is that we see a society that continues to question itself and its moral compass.鈥�
Taylor has done that with his own hand by writing two books of poetry. He and his husband Christopher Carr are also building a media company called Kick Starter Studios LLC that will support other Black writers crafting stories from the African diaspora. Their first project is a sci-fi action comic book series for readers of all ages called Action Biters.
For now, three of his poems are featured at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center鈥檚 (MAC) Black History Month Open Call Exhibition, which opened on Jan. 31. The kickoff event with all of the contributors鈥攖he youngest is 10 years old鈥攚as on Feb. 2. The exhibit will run through March 3.
Two of his poems at the MAC exhibit come from his second book, 鈥淏lack Music, Politics, and Word Bombs.鈥� He wrote them in the wake of the social and political upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.
A third poem鈥攁ll of his poems were inspired by music from Black artists鈥攊s a key selection from his first book called 鈥淢y Scars are My Birthmark,鈥� in which he confronts his trauma growing up Black and LGBTQ+.
The kickoff event with all of the contributors鈥攖he youngest is 10 years old鈥� was on February 2. The exhibit will run through March 3.
MAC Facility Supervisor for Galleries Katt Szyndler is curating the show.
鈥淲e wanted to find hidden gems to show what this community wants to express,鈥� Szyndler said. 鈥淲e all have a different understanding of art. No matter which race we are, we all have a connection to Black history. I鈥檓 really grateful to all of the artists who have the guts to share themselves with the public.鈥�
Advocacy and Awareness
On campus, 吃瓜头条鈥檚 Black Student Union and the Umoja and A2MEND programs are teaming up this month to stage events at the Equity Hub celebrating Black culture, history and experiences.
The official kickoff, featuring food and music, is entitled 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� and will go off on Feb. 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Students are encouraged to wear red, yellow, green or black.
Black Student Union President Amarah Sayles believes campus groups need to push harder, even beyond February, to create 鈥渁 comfortability for [Black] students.鈥�
鈥淲e all want to show students that your voice will be heard at 吃瓜头条, and if you need a home, we have a home for you,鈥� said Sayles, a freshman nursing student. 鈥淲e have many Black students on campus, but they don鈥檛 necessarily see the BSU as something to join. We want to advocate for them.鈥�
This is the first time that Black History Month has been arranged 鈥渂y Black people for Black people,鈥� said Communications Professor Janee Young, a 19-year veteran at the college and the faculty advisor for the A2MEND program.
A2MEND and Umoja are academic and leadership support organizations for Black students, and both 吃瓜头条 chapters came to the campus in the last 18 months to join the BSU.
Asked how she feels after all of these years finally seeing a comprehensive approach to the month-long celebration on campus.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tiring, yet rewarding,鈥� Young said. 鈥淚 tell students all the time, to make change on this campus or the world, we need more than Black people to push an agenda for Black people. You need all people to get on this train.鈥�
