Black History Month is a step towards burying hateful mentalities

Feb. 14, 2019

By Nicolle Tyszka
Staff Writer

Some may aver it is unjust to dedicate an entire month to a single group of people. Others believe black history should be celebrated all year, rather than being limited only to February.

Despite what the critics say, Black History Month is necessary.

If history is not understood by younger generations, it is doomed to be repeated. This would cease the progression of the nation, as society would lose an opportunity to learn from past mistakes. Many of us take for granted the rights that activists fought so hard for, and even died to secure. If not for an awareness of the past, Americans cannot truly appreciate the rights and privileges that exist today.  

Even though there has been a lot of improvement such as the end of Jim Crow era segregation, there is still a long way to go until black Americans are viewed and treated as equals. Some Americans still have a racist mindset, and Black History Month is a reminder that these viewpoints are wrong.

Prejudice based on race is illegal, but some law enforcement officials still abuse their power when it comes to their treatment of black individuals. This discrimination has given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement, which came as a result of the senseless murders of innocent and unarmed black people. The hashtag was created in July of 2013, and as of July 2018, it had been used on Twitter almost 30 million times, according to AdWeek.

#BlackLivesMatter was derived from the negative stereotypes about black people and culture that people unfortunately still hold.

Another way discrimination still exists today is in school segregation. Despite New Jersey being one of the most diverse states in the United States, its schools are among the most segregated.

According to The New York Times, it is estimated that 46 percent of the 585,000 Latino and black students going to public schools in New Jersey attend schools that are more than 90 percent non-white. Out of the 622,359 white students attending New Jersey’s public schools, 43 percent go to schools where at least 75 percent of the students are white.

Former New Jersey Supreme Court justice Gary Stein told The New York Times that he is well aware of school segregation in the state and believes it needs to end, explaining that New Jersey’s school segregation us “more intense than any state today in the south.”

When children are placed in school environments where diversity is purposefully avoided, racist ideas get passed onto the next generation, creating a nation that is unable to depart from its racist roots.

In 1868, the 14th Amendment, also known as the Equal Rights Amendment, became part of the U.S. Constitution. However, a century-and-a-half later, racial inequality still exists. When Americans honor Black History Month, they also celebrate the benefits of diversity in the various aspects of their lives. This important month reminds people that by ending discrimination and hate, this country will be elevated to reach its true potential.