Starting in 1915 as Negro History Week observed during the second week of February, the 1960s saw an evolution of this one week to the entire month of February and the eventual recognition by President Ford in 1976 as Black History Month. Black History sat as an unnamed part of American History before September of 1915 when historian Carter G. Woodson and Minister Jesse E. Moorland founded ASNLH (Association for the Study of Negro Life and History). Prior to this moment, The United States simply engulfed the African diaspora and all it had to contribute into the country’s “melting pot.” Presently, the United States and Canada honor the various contributions of the African diaspora to the country’s rich cultural history throughout the month of February, while the United Kingdom and Ireland celebrate Black History Month in October. Today, Weaver Street also honors the various contributions of the African diaspora to our surrounding cultural communities throughout the month of February.
Weaver Street is honored to share the community efforts we have made since the inception of our journey to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive as a pillar in the local food system. This month, we’ll share various aspects of our journey through the lens of our DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Coordinator as she elaborates on the company path to broaden our cultural awareness in efforts to increase our impact on the community. At the same time, we invite you to join us as we highlight the 2022 Black History Month theme of “Black Health and Wellness.” Acknowledging years of inequalities that directly and indirectly affect the Black community, Weaver Street is dedicated to a more meaningful direction of interactions – such as leveraging our positioning to create more intentional purchases with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) producers and growers, updating standard practices to ensure sustainability of the changes we’re making, and deepening our relationships with the community we love to ensure all feel welcome in the spaces we have worked hard to cultivate. In this month, we’ll share the stories of Game Changers and others making their impact on addressing disparities affecting the health and wellness of the African diaspora that we have been fortunate to build partnerships with. We are excited to continue in this journey and openly invite you as we learn, grow, and continue to build through Black History Month and beyond.