Kindness Month: Overshadowing BHM?

JAMIE DIEDRICH
PHOTOGRAPH
STAFF WRITER

2/23/2026

The Wilcox Health Center Team sent an email out to students stating that Alma College would be participating in Kindness Month. This is a real, nationally recognised holiday that occurs during February. February is also Black History Month, and in my opinion, no, Kindness Month does not overshadow Black History Month, and it never could.

Black History Month carries so much weight as a month that celebrates culture and education, whereas Kindness Month is a suggestion that may not be taken very seriously. Even if you think the students of Alma College are capable of implementing Kindness Month into their lives, they’re probably the students already doing it. 

“You just have to have a little bit more sense of your surroundings and become more sensible, instead of just being more locked into your own world. While it does just depend on the person,  a lot of people are selfish. Some people could be walking right in front of you, and they just won’t open the door for you,” said Aden Gurden (‘26).

Black History Month also requires more care, humanity, and dedication than the suggestions for Kindness Month suggest it requires.

According to the Wilcox Health Center Team, “All month long, join us by sharing compliments, lending a hand, recognizing great work, offering a smile, getting to know someone new, or participating in random acts of kindness. 1. Compliments. Make someone’s day by sharing a compliment! 2. Kindness is free, so pass it on. Throughout the month, we’ll be spreading kindness through random acts of kindness. Kindness Cards are available across campus to get you started. ”

“This is a time dedicated to celebrating and encouraging simple acts of compassion within our campus and beyond.  This month encourages intentional, small acts of generosity to improve mental health, strengthen community and foster connection.  Kindness is typically defined as prosocial behavior that involves being considerate, generous and compassionate toward others without expecting direct personal gain,” said Anne Lambrecht from Wellness.

For Black History Month, Alma College does quite a few things, including highlighting literature about it at the library and its program Soup and Substanfood, culture, and community. The Alma College Events Calendar details an Alma College faculty and staff-only event surrounding food, culture, and community for Black History Month. 

“I can respect the opinions of those who dislike the conflicting timing with Black History Month and hope that when observed together, the two can complement one another in powerful ways. Kindness becomes more than simple gestures—it can mean actively listening, amplifying Black voices, educating ourselves about history, standing against injustice and building a more inclusive campus environment,” said Anne Lambrecht.

We don’t do anything for Kindness Month outside of Wellness, so is it taken seriously? During the time when every ounce of news is grim, and society may be feeling a tad hostile and stressed because of this, it’s important to be reminded that kindness still exists, even if just for a month.

“I would just say, just go out of your way for somebody that you don’t even know. Try to make somebody’s day better in that way. For Kindness Month, take one thing every day. Just do one piece of kindness every day and think about the effect that had. If someone’s walking by me and they have cool shoes, I’m going to say they have really cool shoes,” said Gurden.