National Black History Month serves as both a celebration and a powerful reminder that Black history is American history. It is about acknowledging and commemorating the contributions African-Americans have made to our freedoms, our culture, and our society. 

To honor the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and begin Black History Month, the Interfaith Alliance of Maui recently presented the award-winning film, Green Book, directed by Peter Farrelly. The film is named after The Green Book, published by African American postal worker Victor Green from 1936-1966 during the segregation era in the United States. It was an indispensable travel and safety guide that helped African-American and other non-white travelers find welcoming lodgings, businesses, and gas stations and avoid dangerous and discriminatory establishments. The film is based on the true story of a working-class Italian-American bouncer who becomes the driver for an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues in the American South during the 1960s.  

During the Interfaith Alliance of Maui’s Black History Month meeting, the screening was complemented by an interfaith sharing of reflections on the film’s themes and on what the Maui community can learn from Dr. King. Over 50 people came together for the discussion. 

“The two men couldn’t be more different, both in their ethnic makeup and in their beliefs,” said Reverend Kerry Kiyohara, resident minister of the Makawao Hongwanji Mission. “Yet, through the redemptive power of music, food, and continuing conversation, they form an unexpected friendship in the midst of racism and segregation. This tour of the 1960s South is all at once entertaining, uncomfortable, and, most importantly, necessary.” All those who viewed the film agreed, “We must never forget that everyone is equal. One of Dr. King’s main messages is that we are all accountable to our founding principles of freedom, justice, and equality.” 

Rev. Kiyohara added, “The Interfaith Alliance of Maui plays a positive and healing role in Hawai‘i among people of faith, good will, and aloha. As an interfaith organization, we believe that by incorporating people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, we can advance an inspiring vision for our future. We hope that all our communities can continue to organize effective responses to hate-based violence and to work across our differences.”