Black History Month is the annual celebration of African American achievements and triumphs over the course of U.S. history. History.com writes, “Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of ‘Negro History Week,’ the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.”
This month, our Renegades celebrated Black History Month by learning about historical Black figures, celebrating their culture with family and friends, and diving into Black literature and films.
Renegades Celebrating African American History
“I am celebrating Malcolm X for Black History Month. Malcolm X was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement for African Americans. His speeches greatly aided in the battle for equality. Malcolm X was also a minister and spread the word of Islam which helped bring people together.” Shawn Daniel Butler
“The historical figure I am celebrating for Black History Month is Rosa Parks. She was and still is a profound woman who started the Montgomery bus boycott. Though she was a woman of color during times of racial inequality, she pummeled through intimidation. Rosa Parks has paved the way to end racial segregation and is titled as “the mother of the civil rights movement”. I decided to celebrate Black History Month by educating myself about Rosa Parks and drawing, despite how my drawing pales in comparison to the actual picture of Rosa Parks.” Ashleymae Junio
“I am celebrating Black History Month by participating in a number of events with my zoned high school’s BSU Club. As part of the executive board, other members and myself have come up several events and activities to participate in or conduct for this month. One of those events is for each member to come up with facts about a historical or present African American that made a difference in society. The picture above is of the person I chose, Nia DaCosta. Each member will have their person posted on social media through the school and club’s Instagram account.” Ariana Johnson
“We celebrated Black History Month by watching Malcom X. Our father feels that it is very informational to do such actions. Malcom X was an African American civil rights leader.” Jordan Evans
“I am celebrating the Tuskegee airmen and their courage in WW2. They fought for their country that didn’t give them any respect. Their determination despite the discrimination and lack of faith in them shows what it means to prove your worth.” Tyler Wirig
“Although I only had a picture on my phone of Rosa Parks. I had decided to celebrate Rosa Parks this month; I have decided to educate myself more about Black History Month in general and have wanted to read more about historical figures. I feel that I struggle a lot with learning about people, and it’s either with their name or year. I have been wanting to get better at that. But I have also decided to celebrate Rosa Parks this month because of how courageous she was. She has inspired me to never give up, and to always stand up for what I believe in, to have a voice. It may sound simple and easy, but what she did is admired every day, not because of her skin color but also the fact she was a woman when this happened.” Isabella Virtucio
“For Black History Month, I’m reading a novel called “The Color Purple.” The story centers around a woman named Celie and it explores the struggles and hardships that the black community faces in the early twentieth century. This book calls attention to difficult subjects that are often avoided in media.” Victoria Dudek
“I watched a one-hour oral presentation featuring the voices of African Americans from the American Civil War through Reconstruction, to modern times. Hearing the stories and experiences from these strong individuals opened my eyes to how cruel the world was and how, in small spurts, it still is today. They talked about growing up and the hardships their families went through. It brought me great sympathy and the want to make a change in the world so there is no sense of discrimination anywhere. No human deserves to be put through that.” Alexis Batezel
Read More about Black History Month
Read more about prominent African American figures in the February issue of the Nevada State Herald! Taylor Ward, the Managing Editor of the Herald, featured Ida B. Wells and Septima Poinsette Clark in this month’s newsletter! Read the full article here.