Each of us can honor black history by helping others

Black History Month 2009 is now history itself, but new black history is made every day by African-Americans who are willing to share their time, talent and resources with the larger black community. Everyone gets the opportunity sooner or later, sometimes in surprising ways.

I was fortunate to come of age during a dramatic period in the history of both African-Americans and the United States. My high school years in my small, segregated North Carolina town coincided with the climactic years of the civil rights movement. I’ll never forget marching with my classmates down our main street —- past the local retail store chains where I wouldn’t have been allowed to sit at the lunch counter or use the restroom.

Fast-forward through the decades, and today I, an African-American woman, work as an executive with Wal-Mart, a retailer with a commitment to diversity and giving back to the communities it serves. This commitment is displayed through our support for initiatives that capture the contributions African-Americans have made to our nation.

Examples include Tavis Smiley’s “America I AM: The African-American Imprint,” a mobile and museum exhibit —- scheduled to be in Atlanta in June —- that celebrates the impact African-Americans’ actions, innovations and teachings have had on nearly 400 years of American history. We have also supported efforts to build the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C., a monument that will help future generations uphold the legacy King stood for.

My family had more love than money, but my parents always made it a point to give back. There were seven children in our family and my father worked as a janitor, but my parents ensured that we went to college.

Like most children in our community, I also benefited from the investment of older African-Americans who were our role models. They ranged from the teachers in our schools to the elderly “porch ladies” who watched over the community’s children. They delivered the message that we were the future, and our future would only be limited by our own goals and commitment.

You can’t directly re-pay personal investments like that, but you can make investments of your own in those who need it most. It’s something we all can do on some level. We can help a motivated, but financially needy, young person attend college. We can share our time and experience as mentors to students or young people finding their way in the business world. It can be as simple as providing an elderly neighbor good company or perhaps a hot meal.

No matter who you are, or how you do it, giving back is one of the best ways to honor and exemplify the spirit of black history and make a big difference at the same time.

> Esther Silver-Parker is senior vice president for corporate affairs at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.