By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

At the union’s 22nd annual Black History Month celebration, hundreds of DC 37 members turned out each night to relive the legacy of African-American struggle and achievement.

“Lest We Forget” was the theme the DC 37 Black History Committee chose for this year’s celebration. During February locals and committees presented 16 cultural events that retraced the path towards freedom marched by the African Diaspora, from emancipation to Jim Crow through the civil rights era into the present.

“Black history is also union history,” said Lillian Roberts, DC 37’s executive director. “We’ve fought battles for economic equality and civil rights. And we will continue to fight for jobs and justice, because the struggle for freedom is not over.”

The month-long celebration brought to the union hall guest speakers such as famed civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, U.S. Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, and attorney Wade Henderson, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Conference on Civil Rights.

These men recalled the early years of struggle against segregation, poverty and disenfranchisement in the 1960s and the power of the people’s ability to change circumstances.

And as union members heard from politicians and labor leaders like AFSCME Secretary Treasurer William Lucy, former DC 37 Administrator Lee Saunders and Roger Toussaint of Transit Workers Local 100, the celebration became a time to reflect on an honorable heritage that includes the fight for constitutional rights for all Americans, and to prepare for the challenges ahead.

DC 37 celebrates the culture and contributions of African-Americans

Additionally, to capture the scope of African American culture, the committee displayed rare first edition books by Black authors lent by DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray as well as the paintings of contemporary artist Bernus McKnight. An array of talented drummers, dancers, poets, and singers appeared in programs presented by the Authors Talk Committee and Locals 154, 371, 372, 375, 420, 1070, 957, 983, 1407, 1549, 1597, 1655, 2627, the DC 37 Retirees Association and the Political Action and Legislation Dept.

“Black history — our culture, music, and creativity — has survived and thrived despite 400 years of oppression,” said finale night emcee Cynthia Chin-Marshall, who co-chairs the committee with White Collar Division Director Sherwyn Britton. “It is important that we see our history as an integral part of American history.”

As clouds of war gather, unionists said it’s time to stand up for the legacy of struggle, progressive politics and freedom. “We are going to borrow from the lessons of Black history,” said Ms. Roberts. “We must step out boldly with a new spirit and vigor to build a better world for our members, break down doors, knock down barriers and champion the issues that will benefit working families.”