Before I became the UniSun editor, I was familiar with Louis Diggs' work as a historian. I discovered him while searching the Internet as I prepared for an interview for this job with The Sun.
Having only visited here, I needed to quickly learn about the area's African-American communities.
A click of the mouse and there was a wealth of information on Diggs' site, louis diggs.com.
It was after perusing the site that I decided to add doing a story on Diggs to my list of ideas for the publication.
Almost three years into the job, I finally have a writer, Arnesa Howell, who tells Diggs' story -- his passion for mining the history of African-American communities that some history books have overlooked.
Turn to Page 12 to read how this 75-year-old Baltimore native goes about his work and why. He's written 12 books, and it doesn't sound like he's planning to stop there.
In honor of Black History Month, this month's issue is dedicated to looking at the way history touches our lives.
If you want a different take on the Harriet Tubman story, see Page 16 about an opera about the abolitionist's life.
If you are planning to travel, consider Tuskegee, Ala., and the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, where you can learn about the university and notable African-Americans such as George Washington Carver, Ralph Ellison and Booker T. Washington (Page 15).
During the 1960s, Black Panthers Bobby Seale and David Hilliard made history as part of a black power organization. But while they were doing that, they took time to eat and enjoy a favorite pastime of barbecuing.
Today, the two are capitalizing on those days by selling barbecue and hot sauce, respectively. See Joe Burris' article on Page 18.
And for all those who like solving puzzles, there's one on Page 17 that will test your knowledge of contemporary history. It's not just for adults; children can help solve the puzzle as well.
Once you've solved that, you might turn to Page 6 to identify the flashback photo. There are more clues to help you come up with the correct answer. And here's another clue: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led a march days after this one.
When I was growing up, I never understood the value of history as much as I do today. Now, the more I live, the more I want to know the legacy of those who came before me.
I hope you turn the pages and learn about people whose life experiences made a difference in the way we as African-Americans live today.