The month of February is marked as a month to recognize and celebrate black history. It deserves to be brought to light for more than 28 days out of the whole year. Black history is a part of American history, so American history without it is just American mythology.

Black history needs to be recognized as a regular part of the history curriculum in schools, rather than just a topic acknowledged during the shortest month of the year. Unfortunately, the current history curriculum deeply lacks black perspectives, and sanitizes vital aspects of black history. This is leaving students and future generations ignorant about a major part of U.S. history.

The whitewashed education system that is exhibiting white business, white history and white success has overtaken many public schools across the country, which will result in history repeating itself. Events of the past often become events of the present because of the continuous cycle of uneducated generations passing down ignorance. Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and Tamir Rice are just some of the many innocent black lives that have been taken within the last few years. This proves how our society is falling back into old patterns and ending this devastating cycle begins with the schooling system. The education of students should not revolve around a white man’s agenda. Regardless of how difficult it can be to hear, education needs to be inclusive of all cultures.

Some are oblivious to the the lack of historical content in schools and believe that the coverage of slavery is enough black history to classify the school as “inclusive and diverse.” While African-American slaves played an important role in the development of America, black history is so much more than just slavery.

For example, the majority of students are aware of the impact that Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks made, but many are unaware of Ethel Waters, who was the first African American woman to integrate Broadway, star in her own television show and become the highest paid performer on Broadway. Or Bayard Rustin who was a primary organizer for the March on Washington and a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement, years before it began to receive the attention that it did.

Or James Mercer Langston Hughes who was recognized as a very important poet, social activist and novelist during the Harlem Renaissance. Like many creative minds Hughes had his critics. Some of his early work was denounced by black intellectuals for portraying what they thought was an unattractive view of black life.

Nonetheless, his strong, raw sense of racial pride promoted equality and showed that African American culture is something to be celebrated rather than something to be ashamed of. Langston Hughes is a prime example of the qualities that should be incorporated into our education system. Despite the grotesque and unappealing details of black history, it remains to be a crucial part of our education.

Black history conveys black influence around the world and should not just be limited to a history classroom. Students should be exposed to the unfiltered knowledge about black literature, scientists, musicians, doctors and the reality of black history all together. The more exposure to black history, the less students are left to pay the expensive cost of ignorance.