Rev. Kathy Beasley
Central Florida Center for Spiritual Living, Orlando

Black History Month... "cultivates the past. It throws light upon the present. And it points toward a real, viable future for us all." 

I believe Black History Month is a catalyst that has the power to invite the world to gain a broader, deeper, and more meaningful understanding of Black histories—then, now, and not yet.

Black History Month does this by going beyond the margins of slavery and racism and the loss of countless lives across time. It has become in me a call to lift up the power, the significance, and the value of the impact of Black people upon science, spirituality, economics, medicine, education, and the like. Black History Month reminds me of who I am and who I am created to be.

I know that there are so many challenges in our world, and to face those I have to remember my truth. I was born to overcome because my life is the answer to prayers prayed long before I came into existence. I know that my work is the key that opens doors for others like me. I know that my voice and presence are ultimate difference-makers in an unfinished world.

Black History Month is important to me because it cultivates the past. It throws light upon the present. And it points toward a real, viable future for us all. ~Rev. Kathy Beasley