Some Black students at THS are saying they don’t feel Black History month has been well represented in the past years.

They argued that it can feel as though the school participates in the celebration of the month because they have to, and not because they genuinely want to make their students of color feel comfortable in an environment with predominantly white people. Black students want to feel seen and heard, which is why they want a change this year. 

“I feel that Black history hasn’t been represented enough at THS,” junior Sara Charles said. “I have perceived this when in the cafeteria, and there are historical Black people on TV, they only have the most common Black people (historical figures) on the screen. I would appreciate it if THS would devote more effort into what they choose to put out for Black History Month, and take into consideration how us Black students feel in an environment that is unfamiliar or awkward.”  

The announcements need to go deeper than simply putting pictures and descriptions of historically significant Black figures in places where they are easily overlooked.

“Cliche acknowledgments were made, and it’s the same thing every year,” senior Netalyia Lewis said. “They always bring up Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks. However, what about Emmit Till, George Washington Carver, and Madam C.J. Walker? They should delve further into African-American history that has shaped America. They should discuss Black inventors whose inventions were stolen.” 

Unique Black creators like Mary Ellen Pleasant and Albert Murray’s stories should make a debut on the THS announcements. Mary Ellen Pleasant was one of the first Black self-made millionaires but not many people know that because she is overlooked in Black history. Albert Murray was an essayist and social critic that changed the way people talked about race by challenging Black separatism and insisting that the Black experience was central to American culture.  

There are countless Black individuals that made an impact on history that don’t get enough coverage in class. There need to be extra steps taken within the month to educate students about Black History Month, such as creating posters and putting them around the school.