Mars Hill University Students Work With Town To Celebrate Black History Month

February 9, 2021

Photo courtesy of the Town of Mars Hill. (l-r) Jonathan McCoy, director of the MHU Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; MHU student J.L. Fleming; MHU student Samuel Thomas; MHU student Amber Vernon; Mars Hill community member Paula Dempsey

At its February meeting, the Town of Mars Hill approved a resolution proclaiming the month of February as Black History Month, in conjunction with the national observance. Students in Mars Hill University’s Bonner Scholars program worked with faculty and other community leaders to write the resolution. Samuel Thomas, an MHU senior, presented it to the mayor and board of aldermen at the February 1 meeting.

In announcing the proclamation, Town Manager Nathan Bennett said the town administration met with community and university leaders to explore steps the town could take in response to national events last year. Bennett said, “The goal of the resolution is to support efforts for racial equality and to reaffirm that the Mars Hill community is a safe place for Black and Brown residents, be they in the larger community or on the university campus.”

Some efforts cited in the proclamation are:

• “Committing to having meaningful conversations about race;
• Continuing to engage in training programs aimed at strengthening cultural, racial, and ethnic competency and awareness by the town;
• Continuing to promote hiring policies and practices that give full consideration to racial and ethnic diversity and representation [and]
• Continuing to voluntarily include race data in reporting traffic stops conducted by law enforcement.”

In a news release from the town, Bennett said, “It has been a pleasure to work with these outstanding MHU students together with university and community leaders to address this important issue and the resolution approved by the Board is the culmination of these diligent efforts.”