By Samara Kinyanjui ’27
Black History Month is a month that is dedicated to Black Americans’ achievements. From February 1 to March 1, Black Americans receive recognition for their contributions to The United States of America. Black History Month only became a month forty-eight years ago. Before Black History Month was official, there was Negro history week. During this week Black Americans would still receive recognition for the work that they had done. But a week was not nearly enough time to give Black Americans the full credit for the work that they had done in the United States.
Black History Month is a time used to educate others on black culture and spread awareness of the harsh times Black Americans faced years ago. A few of the Black Americans that paved the way for Black Americans in the present are Martin Luther King Jr. , Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, etc. But what about those Black Americans that were key to the way Black Americans are now treated in the United States, i.e. Claudette Colvin, Katherin Johnson, and Ida B. Wells. Many of these Black Americans never received the right amount of recognition for the work that they did. Claudette Colvin was arrested at sixteen for refusing to give up her seat on the bus for a White American. Katherine Johson used her mathematical skills to help the NASA program send astronauts to space and return them safely, and Ida B. Wells used her writing skills to inform people of what was happening to Black Americans in America; the treatment they faced, being segregated. Yet these are the people that are not in students history books because they all had very different backgrounds from the social standard.
By giving Black Americans the credit that they deserved it opened up opportunities for other Black Americans. It gave Black Americans the feeling that they are able to accomplish anything with them still being oppressed by White Americans. Furthermore, during the month of February it is important to recognize the Black Americans that have helped build this country even if they did not get credit for their work. February was made Black History Month because it contained the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Both of these people fought for the treatment they believed Black Americans should receive. Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist, meaning he wanted people to not be enslaved. Abraham Lincoln also fought for Black Americans during the Civil War. These two are prime examples of how even if someone is coming from a different background they can still be as motivated to stand up for what is right, even if it is not the social norm.
