Celebrating Black History Month and the Power of Role Models

As we celebrate Black History Month, it's important to recognize the contributions of those who paved the way for future generations. For example, lawyer Charles H. Huston was credited with laying the legal strategy for Brown vs. The Board of Education and attracting many African American men to Howard Law School, including Thurgood Marshall, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. 

Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman elected to United States Congress.  Her mentee, Representative Barbara Lee, credits Chisolm as an inspiration for her becoming involved in politics.

As caring adults, it's our responsibility to help pave the way and inspire younger generations.  They are our future!  What will your legacy be? How will you be remembered years from now?

In Michelle's Obama's book Becoming, she mentions how mentorship has played a role in her life and explains why it is important for her to pay it forward: 

"For every door that's been opened to me, I've tried to open my door to others. And here is what I have to say, finally: Let's invite one another in. Maybe then we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions, to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe we can better embrace the ways we are the same."

Click here to listen to Michelle Obama's Podcast: "Across Generations: Michelle Obama and Her Mentees."