Kelsey Bishop

During the month of February, Benilde St. Margarets celebrates Black History Month, a time to come together to reflect and acknowledge the various backgrounds that make up the community.

In today’s world especially, it’s essential to recognize the historical journey that has shaped our society into what it is today. For decades, Black History Month has aimed to give students, teachers, admin, and alum all over the Benilde St. Margaret’s community a chance to come together and reflect on our shared history.

To BSM, this month serves as a platform for everyone to express themselves, connect with individuals with different cultures, and ultimately move towards a better-represented community. Furthermore, by taking the time to understand and listen to various perspectives, the community hopes to foster appreciation, connections, and a broader understanding of the multiple voices that make up our community. “I think there’s so many perspectives that are not known enough about or celebrated enough, and bringing awareness to that can really impact the ways that other races, particularly for Black History Month, have been celebrated but not known as much,” English teacher Barbra Watson said.

Throughout the BSM community, there is still a need for some sort of change. Some students have stepped up and pointed out that there is some room for improvement in terms of representation in our community. “I think [the representation of black history in our school is] okay. It probably lacks a little bit and we could probably do a better job because I just don’t really remember any impacting moments in school, where[as] Black History Month has been really just ‘there’ and I don’t feel like anyone really focuses on it much,” sophomore Tiffany Morara said.

As our world continues to evolve, BSM looks forward to finding other ways to explore the cultural complexities that make up society. For example, Mr. Dennis Draughn, the Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, just started teaching the brand-new AP African American Studies class this year. This course gives students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of African American history, and ultimately, appreciate the value of the different backgrounds and diversities that contribute to each individual community. “I think that learning about the traditions and culture and the historical complexities of black history as it’s embedded into American history as a whole, holistically, helps you understand the identities and the people that are a part of our society,” Draughn said.

In an effort to foster inclusivity, some teachers hope to align their curriculum with various heritage months celebrated throughout the year. Ideally, this approach will allow students to discover and appreciate different cultures, including those they may not be familiar with. “I show videos of what Black History Month is, [and] we are currently reading literature that’s written by black authors…I try to bring in historical events and people as just a natural discussion factor on any given day,” Watson said.

After exploring the depths of Black History through various perspectives, it’s clear that there are still a lot of mixed emotions under the surface. In fact, about a week ago, the Department of Defense banned 11 DEI policies along with the celebration of Black History Month itself. According to Fox 9, the Trump Administration says their disapproval of the DEI program is because of its potential threat to hiring, promotion, and educational chances based on merit. However, BSM continues to celebrate Black History Month as well as several other heritage months despite the new regulations. Furthermore, many in the BSM community believe that certain cultural backgrounds deserve more than a single month’s recognition and should instead be celebrated year-round. “It’d be awesome to not have to just do [Black History Month] in February and be able to [celebrate] it throughout the year. That goes for every single heritage, so for Native American and Hispanic Heritage Month, why do they do it just in [the] months of October [or] September? Let’s talk about the achievements of Hispanic Americans in January or February,” Draughn said.

In all, by understanding the various components that make up Black History Month, the BSM community can advance toward a more balanced society. Implementing these new changes into the curriculum will significantly improve societal dynamics, as it allows for diverse perspectives to be not only heard but also appreciated throughout the whole community. “Especially way back when a lot of black people were mistreated, [Black History Month] kind of shows us how we shouldn’t repeat history and how we’re moving forward every year just shows us how far we’ve come,” sophomore Morara said.