Student Leaders Share Their Thoughts on Black History Month

ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 28, 2023) — Photographer Tayana Romulus, a junior with a major in communication and a minor in fine arts, grew up in Jamaica, Queens, and has always had an interest in art. During high school she began taking photos, and found it as fascinating an art form as drawing had always been to her.

“My dream is to collaborate with like-minded people and take photos for magazines, newspapers, museums, and eventually establish myself in the creative direction field,” she said. “I'd also love to work in the field of design, whether that be clothing, posters, websites, etc.”

This semester Romulus is using her camera as an intern in the University’s digital media department, part of the Office of Communications and Marketing.

During February, she spent time taking portraits of some of UAlbany’s student leaders, and asking what Black History Month meant to each of them. 

For Romulus, the month means “celebrating and spreading the legacy of Black history. Oftentimes people reduce our history to adversity and oppression, but it goes further beyond that. We deserve to be seen as more than former slaves but as inventors, geniuses, talent and heroic figures.”

— Photos by Tayana Romulus
 

August

Class of 2025. National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) Junior Programming Chair 

"Black History Month is a motivational piece. I don’t think we should have a month. I think Black history should be incorporated into history as a whole. It’s a motivational step to remind me that one of my goals to implement on this Earth is getting it removed so that Black history can be a thing everybody learns and not just a month to celebrate things that some people don’t even understand." 

Deborah Hoyte 

Class of 2024. President of NAACP: UAlbany Chapter 

"Black History Month means an appreciation of Black culture and Black history. It means that there's prioritization in making sure that Black history is heard and being told. By highlighting Black history, it shows that there is an intention for us to learn from the past and do better for the future."

Sariyah Lewis

Class of 2023. President NCBW UAlbany Chapter 

"Black History Month is a time to celebrate Black people. A time to acknowledge all that they’ve done and a time for us to finally get our flowers."

Kynesha Milwood

President of Albany State University Black Alliance (ASUBA)

"Black History Month (although not long enough) means resilience to me! It shows that Black people are able to create, prosper, make traditions and live despite the circumstances that have been put on them socially. I'm thankful that there is even a designated time and space where Black people can be celebrated for their culture and the innovations that help us every day."

Andrew Thomas

Class of 2023. Peer Faculty Advisor of NAACP: UAlbany Chapter 

"What Black History Month means to me is it’s the month where we celebrate what our ancestors and family members did to get us to where we are today, but not only that, Black History Month should be celebrated every day of the year."

Taylor Jordan

Class of 2024, Co-Public Relations Chair, NCBW UAlbany Chapter

"Black history month, to me, is a month of recognizing the contributions and accomplishments of Black people in our country. Black history is constantly being made every day, and our people deserve their flowers for the hard work we’ve done through the adversity of being Black in America!"