Since 1976, the month of February has been known as Black History Month, marking a time for celebration and honor of black people throughout North America’s past and present. Over time, this month has become more and more important in giving marginalized communities, including black Americans, a voice.
Discrimination is something that many Americans aim to fight against and speak up about, especially during Black History Month. Stereotyping and prejudice is very dangerous, as it can cause innocent people to get hurt.
“I do think people still have behaviors, beliefs, actions that still demonstrate prejudice and discrimination,” World History teacher Mrs. Prince said. “Whether that is something they grew up believing or whether that is something they’ve developed because of an experience, [Racial injustice] still exists.”
As the years go on, the role of speaking out against racial injustice is no longer reserved for certain people. Anyone can take up that role, as long as they are willing to make a real difference. During the Civil Rights Movement, the US had activists like Martin Luther King Jr. driving change across the country. With so much diversity across America, people can take inspiration from him and begin efforts to make a change for the better.
“With each new generation, I think we have really strong voices and people that can really make an honest change to make the world better,” Mrs. Prince said. “That might come in the form of them broadcasting their views on social media or writing news articles.”
Lambert High School and its many diverse clubs are amplifying underrepresented voices, especially this month. One of these clubs is the Black Student Union (BSU). Throughout February, this club has done many things to honor black culture and their history, such as making announcements each day or running toy drives for children in need. These members work towards helping their communities while also forming one of their own at Lambert.
“The reason I joined is because I saw a community filled with people that I could talk to about culture and common relations,” freshman AJ Pink said. “I saw a community where I can feel welcomed and feel safe.”
And this inclusivity isn’t just restricted inside the clubs. All around the school, there are students and teachers of color showing their unique skillsets. Some use opportunities such as extracurriculars, clubs or even teacher and counselor roles to provide advocacy against discrimination. This school’s diversity demonstrates the immense amount of progress that this community, as well as the entire country, has made.
“In many ways we have evolved as a society,” Mrs. Prince reflected. “You can see it just in many of the equality situations that we’ve seen in public schools. I think the government has worked hard to implement policies and keep people accountable in the school system, to make sure that there are equal rights and liberties and that those rights and liberties are protected by either the school system or the government.”
As this month comes to a close, students of color at Lambert are thriving in their element, getting to show off the best parts of their culture more than ever before. Black History Month has been a month of growth and community-building across the school and Lambert’s diversity has proven to be one of the school’s greatest strengths.
