MCC Daily Tribune

President's Wednesday Message

This Black History Month, the social media team has been posting striking black and white portraits of our students to the @monroeccrochester Instagram account. (A collage of some of the posts is attached.) Each student leader-scholar holds another portrait: of an African-American leader-scholar. The postings tell the stories of these notable but not always well-known historical figures, people like C. R. Patterson founder of an automotive company and Kenneth Bancroft Clark who served as the first African-American President of the American Psychological Association. Each image suggests the remarkable futures that await our students, especially when they have such inspiring role models.

The story behind these stories is equally inspiring. The Black History Month Social Media Project is the brainchild of Madeline "Maddy" McDaniel, a communication and media studies major and student intern in MCC's Marketing and Community Relations Office. In collaboration with Janet Ekis, Maddy conducted preliminary research and gathered biographies and images of two historical figures reflecting each of the Schools@MCC. Once the MCC Print Shop produced the 14 black and white historical photos, Maddy then chose 14 appropriate academic settings to match each of the historical figures. She also found the majority of student participants, composed, and took the photographs. According to Janet Ekis, "Maddy's enthusiasm for this project was inspiring. It was a joy to watch her creative confidence grow." Maddy so enjoyed the project that she has decided to pursue a career in social media. Her internship was made possible by a Monroe Community College Foundation grant. This project is yet one more demonstration of the talent and passion that our students bring to MCC.

Black History Month, Women's History Month that follows in March, Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Month that spans March to April, and Hispanic Heritage and Native American Heritage Months each fall--all provide important opportunities to celebrate diversity, to make the power of diversity visible, and to assure our history reflects the full diversity of our community. It is up to us to assure that these opportunities lead to inclusiveness and equity in our hallways, classrooms, and offices every day of the year.

I thank Maddy for her vision, Janet for her mentoring, and everyone who participated for their support of this innovative and instructive project.

Please share your thoughts on the blog

Attached Files:
MCC Black History Month Social Media Project 2018-1.pdf

Anne Kress
President's Office
02/28/2018