Muskingum News

For David McDonald ’23, Muskingum’s Coordinator of Cultural Engagement and Inclusion, Black History Month is more than a commemoration—it’s a reminder that progress has always been powered by community and connection. 

“History is something we can look back on to draw conclusions,” McDonald said. But what stands out most to him isn’t a “great man” version of history. It’s the way people organize, support each other, and build something better together. 

That perspective came into focus during a recent trip to Cleveland for Sankofa: An Epic Adventure, a show that follows a group of Black students preparing for college. The story uses a Sankofa statue—rooted in Ghanaian tradition and ancestral connection—to transport the characters through multiple eras of Black history. While the settings depict hardship, McDonald found the deeper message hopeful. 

“All these settings are describing hardships and how people came together to get through these hardships,” he said. “When there’s so much tension in today’s society…I’m drawing on that feeling of how we get through it. And it’salways been community.” 

McDonald sees that same spirit on Muskingum’s campus—especially through student-led programming that helps students feel seen, heard, and supported. One highlight this year was the return of Jazz Club, an event he helped build to connect the Black Student Union and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and create lasting collaboration. This year’s performance featured Brandon Barnes ’20 and the Rusty Knights Big Band from Zanesville—an ensemble with many Muskingum alumni among its members. 

Beyond the music, students led an educational component focused on the history of jazz and its ties to Black history. McDonald intentionally gives students the space to shape programs in their own voice. “I let the students do their own thing and design it how they want,” he said. “They really take to it and succeed.” 

He also loves the quiet leadership that happens behind the scenes. During an event debrief, multiple students recognized a reserved student who played a key role in keeping plans moving and helping groups work together. For McDonald, it was a powerful reminder that students find their niche when they’re involved in something meaningful—whether they’re in a lead or supporting role. 

Another bright spot came through the student organization, Sisters of Hue, who launched a Black History Month book club reading James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son. McDonald wasn’t sure how the idea would land. Instead, students embraced it, led the discussions themselves, and asked to continue the book club into Women’s History Month. “That was the goal,” he said. “And it happened very organically.” 

McDonald also noted that this year is a major milestone: 2026 marks 100 years since the origins of Black History Month, rooted in the work of Carter G. Woodson and others who insisted Black history must be studied, preserved, and celebrated—even when told it didn’t exist. 

“100 years later, here we are,” McDonald said, “still knowing that a celebration and recognition needs to occur… We should keep working to be educated and stay connected as a community.” 

Ultimately, his hope is that students leave these experiences with purpose, belonging, and a sense of possibility. 

“No matter where students are at,” he said, “I want them to know they can change the world.”