February was chosen primarily because the second week of the month coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Douglass, a former slave, was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement, which fought to end slavery. Did you know that the first sit-in took place on February 1, 1960 in Alabama when four black students from North Carolina A & T College sat down at a Woolworth lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina because when they sat down at the “whites-only” counter they were denied service?

Earlier this month I was asked why Black History Month was so significant to me, and I would answer that question with the simple answer of  “well it’s because I’m African American and our culture is a very beautiful thing.” With this month it gives other people that are not African American a chance to learn more about our culture. Our culture is more than getting your hair done, its more than laying your edges, having good taste in style and music. Our culture is more than seasoning our food the “proper” way, it’s more than standing up for every person of color when a black person loses their life to police brutality . . . it’s about the troubles we went through to get to where we are today. And with that, Black History month is a month to learn, a month to remember, and most importantly, a month of remembrance. History doesn’t have to be closed up in a book and forgotten, this is more than history. It still impacts African Americans today.  Take time to learn and understand, you don’t just have the month of February, you have everyday! Take an action and an understanding!