GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — News 8 is sharing stories of Black history in Michigan, from those who have affected us in the past to those who are making history right now.

The special report, “Black History Month: Sharing our Stories,” can be watched in the player above.

News 8 spoke to Michigan’s first Black speaker of the House and Supreme Court justice, learning about the paths that led them to office. We dove into what “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is known as the Black national anthem, represents for educators who teach it. We looked at early images of an all-Black university in Alabama that are now on display the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

You can find those and other stories from News 8’s series of Black History Month coverage on our Black History Month page.