February is a month of recognition and historical remembrance. Black History Month celebrates Black excellence and remembrance worldwide.
“I feel like Black History Month is a very powerful month, especially because it’s something that African Americans or even other people look forward to,” senior Joshua Haynes said. “I feel like this month just has such power and such historical background to it, especially with our ancestors and the African Americans who came before us, and I just love celebrating them and getting the chance to talk about them with everyone on campus.”
Black History Month is a time to celebrate and remember those who fought for the rights we have today, and how Black people earned their freedom and intend to keep it. Many people take this month seriously and see it as an opportunity to show people the hidden talents and ideas that Black people have.
“I would really just tell them that it’s a celebration of culture and a celebration of unity and the black community, I’d probably say,” junior Beckam Amare said.
According to the National Humanities Center, Black people have been stripped of their talents and ideas, attempting to get rid of their individuality. Segregation became commonplace after slavery, with the abundance of Jim Crow Laws, and racism was still a huge problem, so Black people were still stripped of their ideas and talents.
Segregation ended in 1965, and many Black activists helped end it, like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, John Lewis, Rosa Parks, and many more. According to the NAACP, King played an important role in leading the bus boycott after hearing about Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to a white person. This was the beginning of their legacy to end segregation. They both show extreme bravery and made history that needs to be recognized today. King and Parks show Black people today to stand up for what they believe in and to never let anyone belittle their dreams. King was assassinated in 1968, and Parks died in 2005 of natural causes.
According to The Official Website of Malcolm X, Malcolm X was a member of the Nation of Islam (NOI) and abided by the rules the association set for him. These same rules were broken by the leader, Elijah Muhammad, and X found that he was with six women, some of whom had children. He would not stand for the lies that the association had, and terminated his relationship with them. X makes an impact on society today because of his charisma and bold actions of standing his ground. Malcolm X was later assassinated in 1965.
In accordance with the United States Civil Rights Trail, John Lewis was a strong and courageous freedom fighter, especially during the civil rights movement. Being a freedom rider comes with many pros and cons. He was beaten but never lost hope in fixing the world he lived in. Lewis gives confidence to the Black culture today because of his courageous legacy and impact he made, especially while being a freedom rider. Lewis then died due to cancer in 2020.
Black History Month can be considered one of the most important months because of its cultural significance and how it shows Black people’s impact on the world.
“There is nothing greater in all the world than freedom. It’s worth going to jail for. It’s worth losing a job for. It’s worth dying for. My friends, go out this evening determined to achieve this freedom which God wants for all of His children.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
