Reflecting on Black History Month with Mr. T Carey
In order to celebrate and discuss the significance of Black History Month, I had the pleasure of sitting down and interviewing County Prep’s own Mr. T Carey. Mr. Carey teaches psychology and, in his spare time, serves as the adviser of the school’s Black Culture Club.
What inspired you to create a Black Culture Club at school?
“To be honest, a student is the one who came to me about it, she was the one who was interested. She and a couple of friends talked about it, so I ended up being the adult that they went to to ask if I would run it . . . the credit belongs to them. The reason I agreed to it was because I felt it would be a valuable experience, it was something that would be welcomed and needed . . . not necessarily, specifically at County Prep, but just in general. If there’s a want, let’s do it.”
What do you believe is the importance in having clubs specifically designed for students of shared cultural backgrounds?
“Well, I am someone who believes that diversity and multiculturalism are important… [This club] reflects where I grew up and where we live; our lives are intertwined. For these culture clubs I think a lot of times there may be misunderstandings about what the people believe or what there is to celebrate. [Some people’s] own cultures or histories might not really be taught or celebrated so having a place where that is the focus of the discussion, I think can be interesting and liberating for the people who belong to those cultures as well as a learning experience for everyone. This is all sort of the fabric of American culture and history and alot of us aren’t really aware of that. Specifically with the Black Culture Club, there’s also sort of a cultural and historical negativity towards black culture and black history; so having a place where this is embraced and encouraged to be spoken about and discussed is important for anyone.”
Black Culture Club is selling wristbands to celebrate Black History Month, do you guys have any future projects for fundraisers planned as of now?
“We have thought about doing a multicultural food day and we would sponsor it. That would be open for everyone, not just black cultures, but we want that to be a place to open these things up. There’s is also a Black History Month Poetry reading coming up, that is us with the English teachers.”
What do you think of when you hear “Black History Month”? Has the significance of this month changed for you as you’ve gotten older?
“As stereotypical as it may sound, it is still the leaders who were especially emphasized when I was a kid, Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, who are definitely the first people who come to mind. As far as how its changed since I’ve gotten older, my view has become more expansive; more people come to mind: W.E DuBois, Frederick Douglass, etc.. But the original guys still pop up into my head.”
If you could narrow it down to one person, who, in your opinion, is most inspiring leader in black history?
“I really try to think about someone who would not be a typical answer, because it’s easy to Martin Luther King Jr.. But I think there’s a reason why he is so iconic. This person . . . who was such a charismatic speaker, leader, and advocated for peaceful protest; I think is amazing. The let’s sacrifice for the greater good mentality is really critical.”
In regards to representation in television/movies/books/etc., how important do you think it is for the stories of black lives/history to be told through the perspective of black people?
“I think that it’s incredibly important. I think there’s a need for black writers, directors, actors to tell black stories because it’s coming from a place of authenticity and you don’t need to rely on tropes or stereotypes. It can be easy to have an ensemble show with one black character and feel the need to tell every quote unquote black story through their lense. To make something authentic it should come from someone who’s also experienced it.”
As an educator, do you believe that enough black culture and history is included in our curriculum?
“I would say no, but it is the best its ever been. I know there are many English and History teachers in particular who make sure to include and emphasize multicultural narratives in what they teach, but I would definitely say that there should be more. I think Black History Month is critical and important, however it should not be the only time we talk about black culture. Every month should be Black History Month in the sense that black history is American history, as well as other histories. Like I said it’s the best it has ever been, but there is still improvements to be made and barriers to be broken.”
