NEW ORLEANS — February is Black History Month, a month-long celebration remembering the important contributions that African Americans have made in our nation’s history.

In honor of Black History Month, News with a Twist is featuring the people and places of New Orleans and beyond that helped to shape our community.

Today, it’s Dillard University.

Dillard became official in 1935, but its roots trace back to the late 1860s after the Civil War.

Two smaller schools — New Orleans University and Straight College — merged in 1935 to form what is now Dillard.

Dillard is one of three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in New Orleans. Its president, Walter Kimbrough, says the school is one of very few HBCUs to focus on both film and physics.

“Dillard is special because it embraces what New Orleans is really all about in terms of creativity, in terms of resilience,” Kimbrough says. “We have a long history with humanities, with music, with theater … our nursing program is one of the oldest in the state.

“All of those things just make Dillard a unique institution,” he says.

You can learn more about the school’s history here.

Our Black History Month series is brought to you by The King Firm.