by Lyssette Trujillo
Billie Holiday, Palmer Hayden, Richard Wright, Garrett Morgan, George Washington Carver do any of these names ring a bell yet? These are all African American individuals who have contributed to American society in the way of music, art, literature and science.
Black History Month was first celebrated in 1976 and since then it has been honored every year on the month of February. It is to educate individuals about the contributions and achievements of African Americans to our society.
It is now 2011, 35 years later, and an inevitable question arises, do we still need a Black History Month? This question brings up several emotions from individuals across the country and the answer is a simple, yes.
This year, in proclaiming February the black history month, President Barack Obama said, "Though we inherit the extraordinary progress won by the tears and toil of our predecessors, we know barriers still remain on the road to equal opportunity.
Knowledge is our strongest tool against injustice, and it is our responsibility to empower every child in America with a world-class education from cradle to career.
We must continue to build on our Nation's foundation of freedom and ensure equal opportunity, economic security, and civil rights for all Americans."
Children around the country are not aware or educated about African American history and very little know of individuals, besides Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that helped shape this country.
The study of African American culture will be necessary until US history education stops watering down the facts that makes slavery seem as less severe as it once was.
Social inequality is still very prominent in our country. It is our job to educate others about racism and the effects of it in our society. Black History Month sheds light on the social inequality that still exists and it educates individuals about how African Americans have contributed.
