February means Valentine’s Day, the day when one shows appreciation towards one’s loved ones, especially one’s lover, with chocolates and other sweets. February is also the month when students have one or two school holidays, depending on the school district, in honor of celebrating Lincoln’s birthday and President’s Day. However, most people fail to realize the main importance of the month of February. February is Black History Month!
People like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth have all been noted as key figures in American history. They all played a part in making America a place of equality and were responsible for bringing more rights to all African Americans. And yet, even with their grand importance, many people tend to forget that they are celebrated during the second month of the year.
However, students at Cerritos High School do not fail to commemorate the importance of Black History Month with events at school that honor and remember these African American heroes. All along the outsides of the school buildings, ASB members have hung up posters with quotes from famous African Americans like Maya Angelou. “One of the many goals of Cerritos High School has always been to promote different cultures to create a sense of diversity in our school, and February being Black History Month, the Associated Student Body really wanted to create an emphasis on the African American Culture,” states Tony Kim, Junior Class Treasurer.
The week of the 6th was Spirit Week and Friday the 10th was the Dance-a-thon in the quad. During the Dance-a-thon, students got to come out and dance to songs by famous African American singers. A diversity of students got to enjoy the dancing as well as the songs hand-picked directly by ASB and many of their peers came out to cheer them on. Kim explains that the Spirit Week and Dance-a-thon were just fun events for students to participate in to have them to become embraced by the wide culture of African Americans. “Many students seemed to have fun and we believe that the event was a success in terms of giving students an exciting week and an education about African American Culture.”
The students can also look forward to the annual Black History Month assembly in the gym during their 4th period classes on Friday the 17th. During this event, students will be visited by a guest speaker who will inspire them with a powerful speech in remembrance of the many African American heroes in history.
