Every person has the potential to change history. 

That was the message that public speaker and community activist Jacqueline Jones delivered to Dartmouth High School students on the morning of Monday, Feb. 12 in observance of Black History Month. 

The event was hosted by the high school’s Black Student Union and Allies club and sponsored by a grant from Wal-Mart.

Jones is co-founder of the Harambee Learning and Cultural Center, an organization based in Brockton that offers courses and events that educate people on African American history and culture in the United States. 

“Anything that helps highlight, promote and give a window into black culture and history—that’s what we do,” Jones said of the cultural center’s mission. 

The goal of the cultural center, Jones explained, is to show that black history is deeply interwoven in American history. In sharing this message, Jones said she hopes to  inspire schools, like Dartmouth High School, to incorporate black history into their curriculums. 

“[February] shouldn’t be the only time that the contributions of African Americans are talked about,” Jones said. 

The Harambee Learning and Cultural Center also hosts public celebrations for Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, that honors the day on June 19, 1865 when federal troops liberated 250,000 slaves in Texas. 

Throughout her speech at Dartmouth High School, Jones pointed to the pivotal actions of African Americans who fueled the civil rights movement, like Rosa Parks. 

Jones also spoke about the four college students David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and Ezell Blair, Jr.—known today as the Greensboro Four —who in 1960 staged a sit-in at a North Carolina diner to protest racial segregation.  

It’s in everyday actions that people can change their communities for the better, Jones explained. 

“Being a history maker is within everyone’s capability,” she said. “It doesn’t always mean that we will be someone with our name up in lights. But our ability to make an impact is still just as noteworthy.” 

Jones encouraged the students in the audience to find their individual passions and to channel that into a plan to improve their lives and the lives of the people around them. 

To illustrate her point, Jones told the story of one of her students, nicknamed “Big Moe,” who overcame personal hardships to become the first of his family to earn a high school education. Powerful actions like this are enough for people to drastically change the trajectories of their communities and families, Jones said.

“History doesn’t mean that you’re famous, it just means that you’ve made a difference,” she said. 

After Jones’ speech, students came on stage to say what they would like to do to make a difference. The students’ goals ranged from improving mental health services to increasing access to education.

“I want each of the students to know that they have the capacity to be a history maker as well,” Jones said. 

After the event, Senior Ian Barreira said he found Jones’ speech to be “inspirational” and “moving.”

“What people need in this world is a little more motivation to get the job done,” Barreira said.

Freshman Aiden Cabral also found the speech to be an inspiration. 

“It was really inspiring because there’s a lot of negative energy in the world, and I think we as a community need to work together to bring more positive energy and get rid of the negative hate,” Cabral said.