February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the contributions of African Americans throughout history. It allows younger generations the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and foster a stronger appreciation for Black history.
In hopes of honoring Black History month, senior Rihanna Fields, the president of the Black Student Union, along with a few of her closest friends have worked hard to ensure students at SHS connect with their roots and expand their understanding of Black culture during Black History Month.
“The intention of celebrating this is definitely to bring Black cultures together, but also for other kids to learn not only deep history but (also) the new history that’s coming out right now,” Fields said.
Although the club members find ways to grow their knowledge of their culture at every meeting, this gathering dedicated to Black History Month held a deeper significance.
One thing in particular that was different was their hope of te knowledge the members will gain about African Americans who’ve made significant contributions to the world. Fields says she hopes to shine light on overlooked African Americans.
“When people think of Black History Month, they think of Martin Luther King Jr. or Harriet Tubman, stuff that we already know, but there’s so much inside (of) that, like Shirley Chisholm, Michael Mack, stuff like that that people don’t talk about,” Fields said.
BSU has introduced various activities over time to bring their community together and foster learning about Black History roots and traditions.
This year is BSU’s second year as a club and they’ve celebrated Black History Month ever since. Many of the games and activities from last year have returned for a new group of members with fresh ideas.
While the planning process of this celebration was not an easy task, each element of the celebration was thought out to give it a special meaning.
Throughout the event, members displayed presentations on key topics, created unity wreaths and proudly wore their BSU merchandise.
The main event of the celebration was creating the unity wreaths. The members got into groups of five. They placed their hand on a piece of paper to trace and then cut them out. The hands of each member were then glued together on plates to create the wreath itself.
The unity wreaths symbolized a part of why people celebrate Black History Month. It showcases how African American can come together and grow together.
“We did the unity wreaths to really show how we were brought together, to show support and show how we’ve grown over the years,” Fields said.
Some members of the club found the celebration to be a way for them to learn more effectively about their culture and their roots while also having fun with their community.
Senior Deyvon Green, a leader of the club alongside Fields, valued the experience because it introduced him to unspoken information.
“One thing I learned was that we can stick together instead of us being separate. We can stick together and laugh together, even if we have differences, we can all stand united,” Green said.
Overall, the celebration went according to plan. Fields says new members joined, participation was high and everyone walked away with a stronger sense of community, culture and history.
Since Fields is a senior, she will pass the leadership role of the club to new members next year. She hopes they continue to grow the club and keep its mission alive. She especially expresses how she wants the new leaders to shine more light onto Black History Month.
“I hope that the people who are taking over the club make sure they advertise (Black History Month) and make sure they’re really embracing their culture or just making sure Black History Month, as a whole, is getting recognized,” Fields said.
