A culture is defined by a community, and you cannot have community without the mobilization of people. Historically, people of all races have come together under some event, cause or movement, and no matter what cause they stood for, the results from their teamwork proved to be powerful.

In 1963, a community of people from Alabama gathered in Birmingham under one movement. It became the Birmingham campaign; and through this campaign, Black people came together at various events such as sit-ins and boycotts because they believed in the movement and it’s cause. The gathering, and others like it, gave the Black communities hope – hope for equality and justice – hope that is hard to spread – and you cannot make change without it.

The Washington March (also in 1963) is arguably the biggest and most influential gathering of a community in history. The Washington March had ten speakers – all of which represented their respective organizations – that gathered together to support and inspire change. Those in the crowd, those listening at home, and those who merely heard of the march from a friend, had been inspired, moved, and empowered to be apart of the movement. The magnitude of the march, the determination for civil rights, and the passion behind the masses ignited a flame in the life of the Black community and its allies.

Today, injustices such as the killings of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Philando Castille, Eric Gardner, Alton Sterling and countless more victims, unite our people under one cause –  one movement – just like old times. We see a struggle and we arm ourselves with protests and use the emotional and physical abuse as fuel to fight for civil rights. Together, we make progress in our battles by forming different groups to help operate our civil disobedience. This includes whistleblowers for the police force and coalitions that draw attention to the prejudice laws implemented in our nation that do not protect the lives of Black people.

Mobilization of people is the most essential part to influencing change. Movements have no power, events have no effectiveness, and causes have no catalyst without a sense of community. In today’s society, racism, discrimination, and systematic oppression is still prevalent. To combat the injustices of the world that are imposed on Black people, it is imperative that we not only keep our communities strong, but continue to grow these communities and the minds of those in them. However, we mustn’t only have community when we feel wronged, instead we must create a sense of community that is consistent throughout the good times also – that we might never be wronged again. Divided we are weak, but together we are strong, so let us stay strong. Happy Black History Month!