Black History Month matters because it not only honors where we’ve been, but most importantly, it challenges us to be intentional about where we’re going. As philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

This month we honor figures like Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks because their courage shaped the world we live in today. Their stories matter. But Black history did not end with them. It did not pause once laws were passed or milestones were reached. Black history is alive, unfolding every day through the choices we make, the voices we follow, and the actions we take.

When I was a little girl, I spent countless hours sitting in the aisle of my father’s bookstore. At the time, I didn’t realize how much those hours would shape who I would become. Watching him dedicate himself to education, culture, and community taught me that passion and persistence matter. I learned that learning does not begin or end in a classroom, and that curiosity and knowledge are tools for empowerment. His choices instilled in me a love of reading, a drive to understand the world, and a belief that we each have the power to create impact. For more than 30 years, his work has created space for knowledge, conversation, and community in African American neighborhoods. It showed me that history is shaped not only by moments of protest, but by everyday dedication and care.

Black history also lives in the story of women like my grandmother, a feisty and passionate woman who was determined to leave the world better for her children and make life a little easier for the community around her. Her daily choices led her to march for equal pay and union workers’ rights and to become involved in historic leadership movements, including the rise of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. She never planned for greatness, she simply lived intentionally and followed her convictions. Her courage and consistency taught me the value of standing up for what is right, the importance of community, and the power of persistence.

These formative experiences are why I am the way I am. They instilled in me a mindset that values education, intentionality, and action. They taught me to look beyond myself and consider how my choices impact others. They shaped how I approach my work, my family, and my community, and they remind me that progress is often built one small, deliberate step at a time.

Over time, these lessons have become a lens through which I view the world. They remind me that each small choice holds the potential to create remarkable change. In my role as Human Resources Manager here at IOR, strategy is important, but it is our everyday decisions, the way we listen, support, and empower, that truly shape where we are going. Black history is being written right now. It is written in our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. It is shaped by whose perspectives are heard, whose contributions are valued, and whose experiences are believed.

As we move through this month, the call is not only to remember, but to listen. To listen to the voices within our community and to reflect honestly on how our individual actions either support or silence Black voices. Whether African American or not, our opinions, behaviors, and choices matter. They influence whose stories are amplified and whose are overlooked.

Honoring Black history means more than celebrating the past. It means taking responsibility for the present. It means recognizing that history is shaped not only by famous names, but by everyday people making intentional choices. When we choose to listen, to learn, and to act with awareness, we become part of the story still being written.



Black history matters because it is not finished. And each of us, through our actions today, helps determine what it becomes.