Black History Month was kicked off at Fresno City College with a celebration in the Old Administration Building auditorium on Feb. 1.

An audience of approximately 35 people listened to a number of speakers on various topics, including the challenges African-Americans face today, Black Lives Matter and the contributions African-Americans have made throughout history.

Jepahl White, a keynote speaker at the event, touched on the significance of Black Lives Matter.

The hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter” has been a trending topic on social media. However, White says, “It doesn’t mean this has not been a struggle in this country.”

As a result of this hashtag, outrage was started on social media because many felt the movement isolated and depreciated other lives.

“Why is it that if I say I like red you automatically think I dislike white. Why is that? Because of our own biases. Because of our own prejudices,” said Genean Bolen, English instructor and president of Black Faculty and Staff Association.

White compared the two trending hashtags, “#BlackLivesMatter” and “#AllLivesMatter” to houses.

“If your house was on fire, do all houses matter?” White said.

White says he understands that all the houses are important, yet you would not panic and try to save a house that is not on fire.

Although the popular hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter” has been a recent movement, White says the issues behind it have been a boiling matter in America for many years.

This year, as in previous years, the opening ceremony was sparsely attended.

Bolen said that the low attendance does not define the importance of Black History Month.

“We can’t judge the quality of an event by the quantity of attendance,” Bolen said. “A meal is not nutritious just because you don’t eat it.”

Bolen extolled the importance of celebrating Black History Month because of the opportunity to educate the larger society on the plight of African-Americans.

“When we think about blacks, we think about them sometimes in negative stereotypes and perceptions, right?” Bolen said. “But if we had a different knowledge base, might we think differently?”

Bolen says America excludes African-Americans as if they were not a part of the success of American history.

“You use an ironing board all the time, you didn’t know that a black person created it,” Bolen said. “When you know what it took to prepare a meal, aren’t you a little bit more appreciative of it?”

Dale Paul Parnell, Jr., new chancellor of the State Center Community College District, agrees.

“Celebrating those kinds of events are super important because that’s who our students are, that’s where we come from, and if we don’t share culturally with each other, then we’re not going to grow.”

To those who do not take advantage of learning about the roots of America, Bolen said, “You short changed yourself.”

She encourages all constituencies of the college to participate in the month-long celebrations. “It’s a part of their history, it’s a part of their legacy.”

“We need to learn more about each other so people can feel comfortable no matter where they come,” Parnell added.