"Strength Courage Wisdom" was the theme of the annual Black History Month Assembly on Thursday, February 22 sponsored by the Onyx Club. The program included a showing of the video "Origins of Black History Month," a recitation of Maya Angelou's poem "Phenomenal Woman" by Lexington Hart '21, and an acapella performance of "Amazing Grace" by Jeannie Cyrus '18 and Imani Featherson '18.
Alumna Dior Richards '00 addressed the assembly, sharing about her life experiences. Dior spoke about attending Holy Cross and participating in the Black Awareness Society, which later became the Onyx Club. As a Holy Cross student, Dior attended a field trip to tour historically black colleges and universities. She attended Howard University and joined the prestigious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, one of the largest black women's organizations in the world. Dior described the challenges she faced after graduation with a degree in Biology, and how she encountered situations in her career where she was discriminated against because of her race. She spoke about the courage she found in deciding to leave her career field to follow a new path as a Business Analyst and Director of Operations. She shared about finding a business environment where she now feels valued for all her talents and accepted as an African American woman. Dior challenged the students to recognize the value and strength that comes from diversity. She also gave some practical tips for how to achieve outcomes that support creating a diverse environment.
Two of Dior's classmates, Andrea Williams Sims '00 and Stephanie Sprow '00 also attended the assembly. The three have remained friends since their days as Holy Cross students.
