What Black History Month means to me

As an African American myself I cherish and hold Black History month close to my heart. Not only to celebrate the race that I am filled with, but to say thank you to all the African Americans who paved the way to this celebration. Without them there would be nothing to celebrate. This gives us courage to stand up and finish the race that they started. My culture used to be looked down on as shameful and abnormal, but that’s why we use Black History Month to bring out everything that was frowned upon and celebrate it.

Black History Month is a time to show how proud I am of my race and culture. This month is full of positive accomplishments and celebrations. We are proud to be African American every day, but this month especially is a reminder of all the blood, sweat and tears that was left behind from others. We had to fight hard for our rights and even lost lives for standing up for what they believe in, so to recognize the pain that was forced on them means to stand up for them and our future generations.

This month is not only for the ones we lost but also for us that’s still moving things forward now. We take this time to shout out and appreciate black owned businesses, black students, black parents and just all around pure black excellence. It’s about acknowledging all the positive actions we are taking to be the best African Americans we can be. This is the time where we let our culture shine the brightest. We eat our soul food and play our jams with our braids hanging low and afros up high. We stand tall and let it be known that we are still here and are still making a difference. We are smart and don’t need to ask for permission. Black History Month is a reminder to show the world that we were the same back then but are now continuing to be better every day.