Charleston city officials currently have no plans to celebrate Black History Month. According to City Manager Scott Smith, the city does not intend to disregard the importance of the month. Rather, Charleston City Council only officially recognizes state holidays, such as Presidents Day, Good Friday and Memorial Day, among others.

Smith said he anticipates that the council will acknowledge Black History Month at a future meeting, but that will be the extent of it.

“It’s not that we’re not supportive, we just don’t outright acknowledge anything not sanctioned by the state,” Smith said.

Smith noted that the council has always been supportive of Eastern’s Black History Month celebrations. He cited that former Mayor Dan Cougill, as well as various city officials, have often attended Eastern’s African-American Heritage Banquet in previous years.

The Charleston Carnegie Public Library also does not intend to take any celebratory measures.

“There’s no particular reason (the library does not celebrate),” Children’s Librarian Judy Looby said. “We’re just doing other things.”

Looby cites preschool story hours and craft programs as the activities with which the children’s section of the library is currently occupied.

Like the city council, Looby assures that the library does not intend to disrespect Black History Month. In previous years, Looby has asked children to write what their dream is, as a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. She has also helped many students with black history-related school reports.

In contrast, Carl Sandburg Elementary School does intend to celebrate the month and to educate the students on its importance.

Principal David Carey said the teachers will emphasize the importance of African American men and women in the country’s history and teach the students about the strides they have made.

The school will also enlist the services B.F. McLerren, a retired Eastern professor, to perform as Abraham Lincoln on Feb. 9. Among other things, McLerren will speak to the children about Lincoln’s role in black history.

Carey noted that such lessons are even more important now with the death of Coretta Scott King on Tuesday.

“We’re all making sure we talk to the students about the Civil Rights Movement, Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King, Jr., and their leadership,” Carey said.

In 1840, a Cole’s County census reported that of 9,616 citizens, 33 were African American, which amounts to 0.3 percent.

In 2000, 160 years later, 1,215 residents, or 2.3 percent, out of 53,196 residents were black.

Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the population of black residents in the United States, including those of more than one race, comprised 13.4 percent of the total U.S. population as of July 1, 2004.

Eastern has 20 events scheduled in celebration of Black History Month, including the African-American Heritage Banquet, the Miss Black EIU Pageant and various panel discussions and guest speakers.