It’s officially February everyone, and do you know what that means? It’s Black History Month! Have you ever taken the time to just look around and take into realization what we have now? Remember when African-Americans and whites couldn’t go into the same restaurants, play in the same playgrounds, or learn in the same schools? They even had to sit separately on public transportation. The pressure was focused mainly on blacks, having to face the torture and abuse of the outside world simply because of the color of their skin. I am of African-American decent myself, I know if I was living during the time period when segregation occurred, I could not have handled it, and would have wondered why the acceptance of my race was so impossible to achieve. Fortunately, black pride has come a long way. Public figures we all know, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and even little Ruby Bridges herself led others towards a path of equality.

I am so fortunate to be living in the 21st century where blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, and so on, can eat, dance, meet, greet, wed, hold hands, and live together in harmony. My neighbor is Guatemalan, my math teacher is Irish, my tutor is Middle Eastern, my bus driver is Jamaican, my best friend is Haitian, and our president is black. Can you imagine if none of this was ever possible? I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to converse and learn about all different races, cultures, and ethnicities. Cool, huh? We have all struggled to be where we all today, which just goes to show you how everyone can make a difference in history. Just like MLK stated in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, we’re not judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of our characters. Happy Black History Month!

-Christina