Black history is not only something we study. It is something that is actively being made.
For many students in the Black Student Leadership Network (BSLN), Black History Month arrives in the middle of real-time organizing, hard conversations, and deep questions about what justice looks like now. They are students, organizers, artists, policy thinkers, and campus leaders. They are tired sometimes. They are hopeful often. And they remain committed, still showing up, still building skills, still sharpening how they advocate for justice.
“I’m not the only one that still wants to fight. Being surrounded by people who still have fight left in them has been very empowering and very encouraging for me.”
During a BSLN convening, young Black leaders from colleges and universities across the country reflected on what carrying forward the legacy of racial justice work means now. What emerged was not despair, but clarity.
One student from Spelman College shared that being in community with other young organizers reminded her that the work still matters, even when outcomes feel uncertain. Advocacy and organizing can be discouraging, especially when political results do not reflect the effort invested. Still, she emphasized that impact is not always immediate or visible, and that shifting even one person’s understanding has value.
“Even if you change just one person, one person’s vote, it matters. I don’t want my peers to feel insignificant about the amount of work they put in.”
Across conversations, students spoke honestly about exhaustion, particularly among Black students who are often expected to lead without pause. Yet many were surprised not by how tired people felt, but by how much commitment remained.
A student from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania shared:
“I’ve heard people say we’re tired, we’re stepping back, we’re done. But coming here and seeing all of us still have that fight in us reminded me that our spirit is still alive.”
Students also reflected on the importance of intentionality. Racial justice work is not only about responding quickly to harm. It requires reflection, care, and strategy. Several students named the need to slow down, understand power, and organize with purpose rather than rushing toward solutions.
“It’s important to really take a step back and be intentional about the lens you’re viewing issues from. Some things take time. Everything in time.”
For many, rest was not framed as retreat but as responsibility. Young leaders spoke about learning to bring grace into their organizing, recognizing that sustainable movements require space for creativity and care.
“You can’t be creative if you don’t have rest in you. I’m bringing back more grace, more empathy, and understanding that the work will happen in time.”
One recurring theme was the need to be more critical about where information comes from and whose voices shape our thinking. Students spoke about reading more, grounding their work in Black intellectual traditions, and centering writers and thinkers who affirm Black identity.
One political science major at North Carolina A&T offered: “We need to shift where we’re getting our knowledge from. Let’s read June Jordan. Let’s read Maya Angelou. Let’s root our ideas in knowledge that comes from people who look like us.”
Others emphasized the importance of making complex political ideas accessible. Racial justice, they noted, is not only about theory. It is about ensuring people understand how policies affect their daily lives and equipping communities with shared knowledge.
A junior early education major at Morehouse College said: “It’s not about speaking down to people. It’s about bridging that gap and saying this affects all of us, and we’re in this together.”
As students prepared to return to their campuses and communities, many described a renewed sense of responsibility. Some planned to build stronger coalitions. Others committed to civic engagement, political education, or collaborative leadership. What united them was the belief that collective action is more powerful than working alone.
One student from Ohio State University shared: “We’re more impactful when we come together. How can we unite instead of reinventing the wheel?”
Black History Month reminds us that today’s youth are not separate from the legacy of racial justice movements. They are part of an ongoing continuum shaped by ancestral knowledge, community care, and a deep commitment to liberation. Many may never see the full outcomes of their work, but they are planting seeds with intention.
A North Carolina A&T student offered: “Every process ends in a product, but the process never ends. We’re planting seeds, and even if we don’t see it, we know we’ll get there.”
Black history is alive. Youth voices are shaping what comes next.
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Click here to learn more about CDF’s Black Student Leadership Network and how to get involved.
Author: Tiffany Brooks, Organizing Manager, Student & Youth