As the end of February draws near, many across the city are reflecting on the strong history of African Americans in society.

The First Mississippi Chapter of Blacks in Government held its Annual Black History Program Wednesday at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Auditorium.

“We’ve had from college presidents to political leaders, clergy — we’ve had a array of speakers and we’re just so thankful to be able to have it here at ERDC,” Debra Goodman of Blacks in Government said.

This year’s program featured Beverly Wade Hogan, president of Tougaloo College, as the guest speaker, and the program’s theme was Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories. Hogan was inspired by the theme to speak about Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“There are no better places that fit that description than the HBCUs,” Hogan said.

Her speech focused on the contributions of HBCU alumni on the development of the nation and state as well as their contributions to architecture, democracy and the economy. She said the schools bring history to the forefront while advancing people to the highest level.

“When we place these historic institutions in context we recognize them as tangible places that can illustrate to others the historic people and events lived and occurred in real and identifiable times and locations,” Hogan said.

Education, she said, was one of the greatest struggles for blacks in the United States. The HBCUs addressed those educational needs and have created a professional elite and have developed strong community ties, she said. The institutions of higher education hold an abundance of information on the impact of African American’s on history, she said.

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities are strong repositories for black culture, black history. Many of them, including Tougaloo College, have tremendous archival collections,” Hogan said.

Hogan used Tougaloo as an example. She said the school was recognized recently as a top HBCU by being ranked eighth nationally and first in Mississippi.

“We have a strong legacy of excellence, relevance and influence,” Hogan said.

Goodman said the club has been trying to schedule Hogan to speak for the past three years. She said the celebration is a way to highlight important but maybe lesser known figures in Black History.

“It’s a reminder of where we’ve come and how far we still have left to go,” Goodman said.

The club has had the program for over 20 years, Goodman said, and many city officials like members of the board of supervisors, the mayor, police chief and fire chief often attend as they did this year.