WKU News

A WKU senior says her passion for both African American history and journalism have fueled her efforts to reach as big an audience as possible.

She’s playing a big role in Black History Month at WKU as WKU’s Amy Bingham explains in this week’s View from the Hill.

Both virtual and in-person events will be held throughout the month of February to mark Black History Month here at WKU. Senior Tracy Scott is helping in the planning but it’s a tragedy from her past that’s helping push her toward the future.

Tracy Scott has lived through some tragic events.

“When I was eight years old, my father committed suicide, which, it impacted who I was as a person.”

Tracy says the mental health of African Americans is a topic no one really talked about and the older she got, the more she had a message to share.

“What really pushes me now is more of going into the mental and letting people know that it’s OK to struggle, it’s OK to go through those griefs and those hard moments but you have to find something that interests you to take away from the grief that you’re going through.”

For Tracy, that interest is her heritage.

“One of the things that interested me the most was African American history and knowing that people like me were succeeding past the trials that they were put through.”

As a senior at WKU, Tracy is putting that passion to work. She’s currently president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History at WKU. And she delivered the student keynote address at the Black History Month kickoff celebration last week.

“Tracy brings a lot to the table. She’s a master at programming, she’s a master at getting that student buy-in and she’s a master in the civil rights movement itself.”

Moore says Tracy’s dedication has students on fire but for Tracy, it’s been instrumental in helping her find her way.

“It provided me hope, it provided me opportunity, but it also provided me a unique learning experience.”

“With the help of my mom, my grandma, aunties, uncles, cousins, the endless support of ISEC, those steps have prepared me for where I need to go.”

Both Tracy and Lamario say the pandemic as well as events weighing heavily on the black community and the world this past year has prompted students to come together even more to plan intentional and strategic events to celebrate Black History Month.

To see a list of Black History Month activities, visit www.wku.edu/isec/blackhistorymonth