Monday’s rain did not stop University students and faculty members from attending the Black History Month Opening Ceremony, nor did it stop keynote speaker Sharon Weston Broome from challenging the audience to make their own mark in history.
The Black History Month Opening Ceremony was held Monday at 11:30 a.m. in the Union Atchafalaya room, kicking off a month full of events.
Student Coordinator Oren Ruth, Jr. introduced Broome, saying she was the first female elected Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
Ruth said Broome also was the first African-American female elected to the Louisiana State Legislature for East and West Baton Rouge.
In her speech, Broome said it is important for people to make a conscious decision to heighten dialogue and advance race relations.
“All of us must make an impact in our own sphere of influence, and to do that we must move out of our comfort zones,” she said.
Broome said it is important to take an active role in the advancement of race relations, and one way to accomplish this is to engage in open conversation.
“Look to the trailblazers before you,” Broome said. “And realize that you have the ability to blaze a trail for those after you.”
Black History Month Opening Ceremony Co-chairs Andrea Allen and Italia Jackson said they were excited that Broome spoke.
“We decided that for the ceremony it would be best to find a local speaker who has had an impact on both the LSU campus and in the Baton Rouge community,” Allen said. “As a mass communication professor and a government official, [Broome] was perfect.”
As Speaker Pro-Tempore, Broome said her role is to assert leadership, complement the role of the Speaker and aid in the negotiation process involving the legislature.
“I am looking forward to helping the governor with some of the policies she has on the forefront of her agenda,” Broome said.
Broome is also a member of the legislature’s Health and Welfare Committee.
“Healthcare has always been a priority issue for me,” she said. “And the first week of March, the governor has a healthcare forum scheduled.”
As Broome ended her speech, the sky lightened and the sun began to shine in the window behind her, as if to hint that the changes she spoke about were on the horizon.