![\"\"](\"http:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/files\/2013\/01\/CrystalKillingsworthAlt.jpg\")
<\/a>Crystal Killingsworth What defining moment in Black history most impacted your life? This has to be the most difficult question for many African-Americans today. After all, how could one reflect simply on one moment to define a whole lifetime of struggle?<\/p>\n As extensive and unique as Black history is, we all relate to different aspects of the past that encourage and inspire us differently.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most memorable moment in Black History for most African-Americans is the Civil Rights Movement.<\/p>\n Ebony Lazare, a sophomore chemistry major from Lafayette La., said that civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s involvement in Black History inspired her the most.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Martin Luther King Jr. joined the Civil Rights Era, he motivated me to become more of an activist when it came to things that were important to me,\u201d said Lazare.<\/p>\n Lazare also mentioned that she supported MLK\u2019s advocacy of nonviolence.<\/p>\n \u201cHe encouraged peaceful change and that was important to me because I don\u2019t think violence is ever necessary,\u201d said Lazare.<\/p>\n Lorenzo Newell recalls James Meredith\u2019s enrollment in the University of Mississippi and the riots that followed after his admittance as a defining moment in Black history.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember hearing my dad talk about James Meredith and the issues he encountered by exercising his right to get an education,\u201d said Newell.<\/p>\n The sophomore recreation administration major from Sallis, Miss. said that Meredith\u2019s diligence in college, despite harassment, motivated him to work hard in his studies.<\/p>\n \u201cIf James Meredith was able to finish college with classmates that persecuted him, I\u2019m confident that I can work hard enough to do the same,\u201d said Newell.<\/p>\n Edwin Davis, a sophomore chemistry major from Utica, Miss. said that the most defining moment in his life was when Black History Month was first recognized.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most defining moment in my life was when February was officially designated as the month to celebrate Black History Month,\u201d said Davis.<\/p>\n Davis said that every year, African-Americans have a chance to reminisce of the accomplishments and struggles of a great group of people.<\/p>\n \u201cIt reminds us of the achievements as well as the hardships that our ancestors endured to establish a better place for future generations,\u201d said Davis.<\/p>\n I think my most memorable moment in Black History was the trek of the Freedom Riders. It was one of Black History\u2019s most significant milestones of African-American history.<\/p>\n The freedom riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern states around the U.S. in 1961. The African-American and White activists challenged those persons who disregarded federal laws that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled concerning integration on interstate buses.<\/p>\n It inspires me that this group of people was resolute in their beliefs when it came to issues concerning their people\u2019s rights. I feel as if it is my duty to them as well as my other African-American ancestors that I remain strong-minded in my beliefs and keep up the legacy.<\/p>\n The views expressed in the commentary are those of the writer(s) and in no way represent the views of The Blue & White Flash.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Crystal Killingsworth Staff Writer What defining moment in Black history most impacted your life? This has to be the most difficult question for many African-Americans…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_plus_post_options":"{}","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1698"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1698\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nStaff Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n
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