This #BlackHistoryMonth, we are pleased to highlight Krystal Gardner, a receptionist in the firm’s Baltimore office. Krystal shares thoughts on observing Black History and a moment in history that shaped her life.

“The only significance that I feel about Black History Month is that after so many years, our country is finally including the Black community as an important part of the growth of this country.

I don’t feel that celebrating Black history once a year for 28 days has greatly changed the mindset of people and their thoughts in general about the Black community. We have a long way to go as a country for people to really understand how African Americans feel and their reactions to different issues. We all will need to have a real conversation based on the past, present and future issues that will affect our entire nation. I know this won’t happen in my lifetime.

The moment in Black History that had the greatest impact in shaping my life was The Children’s March in Birmingham, Alabama on May 1-2, 1963. I was just 10 years old and really didn’t know much about the Civil Rights movement – I didn’t even realize that we were segregated! We lived in an all-Black community and really didn’t go to many places where White people were.

I remember my mom was looking at the news and she was very upset, yelling at the television, which wasn’t like her at all. So I wanted to see what was making her so mad. What I saw frightened me because there were children of various ages being sprayed with fire hoses, manhandled and arrested by police and having dogs released on them. This frightened me terribly, and I wanted to know what they had done to be treated like this. My mother explained to me that they had done nothing but to try to march peacefully to promote ending segregation in their city.

When I saw this, and after my mom’s explanation, some of my childhood innocence and trust was taken away. But a good thing replaced it: I began to watch the news and ask more questions about the Civil Right Movement. I made it my business to keep up with this movement from then on.

Those days shaped my life in a way that has lasted through adulthood. I learned that I would need to fight for my rights because of the color of my skin. So, I haven’t let people tell me who I am or what my self-worth is. I do, by the life I live and the love I show for mankind."