The Rev. Uvie Stewart Jr.

As “Black History Month” draws to a conclusion, the Jamestown community will have an opportunity to celebrate the culture and history of the African American community this Sunday.

The Rev. Uvie Stewart Jr., Human Rights Commission chairman, told The Post-Journal that a lot of African American history has been “hidden.” Despite much of that history being hidden, Stewart said the Jamestown area has an “interesting history” in regard to the African American community, especially with historical connections such as the Underground Railroad. He added that the Human Rights Commission is trying to educate the local community on the history and culture of the different race and ethnic groups represented in Jamestown.

Stewart explained that Black History Month is typically an “acknowledgment and review” of the various “achievements and accomplishments” of African Americans in the United States.

“There’s a number of ways to celebrate it,” he said. “On this Sunday at the end of February, we always have a great big celebration, at least the black churches come together, and we celebrate together.”

This year’s celebration service will take place Sunday at 4 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Stewart said the event is sponsored by the North Main Church of God, which usually runs the program each year.

“We always come together, we sing songs and tell stories, tell history,” he said. “We sing our Black National Anthem. A lot of our kids don’t even know that anymore so we’re trying to transition into more of a teaching and learning phase.”

Events such as the Black History Month celebration service this Sunday are important to the work of the Human Rights Commission. As the chairman of the commission, Stewart said the commission is trying to “connect” to important events in the community that celebrate all of the cultures present in the Jamestown area.

“We’re going to be trying to connect to all that,” he said. “Black History Month just happens to be one of the earlier ones, but there’s a lot of things going on through the year, and we’re trying to tap into some of those projects and let them know that we’re here to support one another.”

The Human Rights Commission sponsored a preseason Jamestown Jackals basketball game held Friday at Jamestown Community College. The theme of the game was celebrating African American history. Stewart explained that the Human Rights Commission believed the sponsorship opportunity was “good timing” and a way for the commission to connect with the local community by supporting the athletes and highlighting African American history.

Friday’s sponsorship opportunity marked the first major event the Human Rights Commission has organized. Stewart said the commission has spent “a lot of time” trying to figure out its role in the community and the process of city government. Now that the commission has established its role, Stewart said the group will be trying to “apply it as we go.”

Stewart emphasized the importance of celebrating culture through events like Black History Month.

“We have an interesting community that’s pretty diverse,” he said. “I don’t think we’re as connected, although Jamestown sponsors quite a few things throughout the summer. A lot of things happen around our city, but I don’t think we’re as connected as we could be, and the goal is to become a very warm and connected place and the model for other cities.”

According to Stewart, the Jamestown community needs to come together and support each other. While Black History Month provides an opportunity for the community to celebrate history and culture, he acknowledged that there are other histories and cultures in the community that need to be recognized and celebrated.

“I think every culture should be able to recognize itself, even though we’re still Americans,” he said. “The next generation is definitely going to have to be more inclusive. It will be important to come and understand other cultures and respect other cultures because we’re multicultural. Throughout the country, we’re multicultural, and that’s the reality of life in America.”

Stewart told The Post-Journal that following the events of Black History Month, the Human Rights Commission will be looking for other opportunities to promote “togetherness” in the community.