February is African American History Month

February is African American History Month

By Omar Guerrero Posted February 6, 2013

Black History Month is to honor the African Americans who stood up for their equal rights to have the opportunity to do anything the white Americans did. We honor the first people to take that step in paving the way for other African Americans to follow. 

Black History Month is so Americans never forget the struggles African American citizens went through to live the life they deserved, but weren’t granted. Instead, they were shunned, beaten, killed, and viewed as outsiders because of the color of their skin. They were thought of as less than the whites and were treated like it.

As times have changed, African Americans are now more proud to be the way they are. February is very important and we should never forget about the past.

In 1926 Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History were the first with this idea to have a month to recognize African-Americans and grew larger in popularity ever since. They said it should be called “Negro history Week” and now it’s understandably named “Black History Month” or “African American Month.”

“He was a man who stood up for Civil Rights. He risked his life and lead a revolution to a better future. He deservedly has his own holiday and will forever be remembered as a man who died for what he believed in,” Jorge Bernal said.

Martin Luther King Jr. wasn’t the only one who took a stand for what was right, Rosa Parks also took a risk when she decided she wanted to sit at the front of the bus on December 1, 1955, after working a long shift. Her arrest sparked a boycott of people who stood behind her when she was taken to prison. Parks was a woman who stood up for herself and had no fear in doing so.

Narinder Mall said, “Martin Luther King Jr. Day is very important to show how much America has changed and progressed over the years.”

African Americans dominate in the sports world when back in the day had no shot of getting the opportunity to show what they can do.

Sports were a major breakthrough in getting past segregation. In 1947 Jackie Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. This was a very controversial move by the team but general manager Branch Rickey, didn’t care what the color of his skin was.

Many African American athletes were soon to follow and have been there ever since in basketball, football, soccer and all other sports.