Black History Month at NHS

As January comes to an end, here comes February to continue. This month is also known as Black History Month. In which our society dedicates and brings light upon African Americans and the significant events they have gone through. Nutley High School members and staff participate in this month to educate students and welcome the students who come from African descent. Although the school and its staff try to make this school a community with all types of people, the minorities who attend here still get hatred and backlash because of their skin color.

Racism and prejudice have been an ongoing issue within the black community for decades upon decades. Nowadays, we learn all about slavery and the affects it had on African Americans especially in school and the media. I interviewed Suzy Ulloa, a senior at NHS who comes from African descent and discussed her life experiences in the black community. She feels that the school could better educate students more about the history of African Americans. “In my personal opinion, I think the NHS could do a better job with the comfort of the small number of African American students in this school by maybe adding clubs, and groups that teach about African American history,” Ulloa stated. 

This could also benefit by giving students a bigger perception of what African Americans have been through as a whole. According to Suzy, “I think that it should be taught in every English class or a class that every student has, which will help everybody have more knowledge on this idea as it is not talked about enough in this predominantly white school.” If more classes, especially during this month were to put time into teaching about the history of black lives, they would feel more seen. It is significant because as a society, we all want to feel welcome and they deserve to be welcomed just as much as anybody else. 

Not only would teaching students about African American history prominently help kids understand what black Americans have been through but, allowing black students to share their experiences in this world we call life would benefit as well. According to Suzy, “It is important for other people to hear about their experiences from the African American perspective as people in this world will never ever have to go through what these African Americans have to go through solely because of their skin color.” People who come from privileged backgrounds have the ability to have a harder time understanding what it’s like to not live fairly the way others do. It would put them in somebody else's shoes in order to finally depict the treatment and emotion many of these African Americans feel, even on a day to day basis.

Though so many African Americans have dealt with trauma and agony because they were unwelcomed, nowadays a lot of communities are filled with people who only want to spread love and positivity. It’s significant during this time we share and give the advice needed in order for black people to feel comfortable. “My advice to them is to view life through their own personal eyes and not through someone else’s. This would help them to be their true authentic selves and how they were born and raised by their family and who they are meant to be,” Ulloa stated.  This month is truly dedicated to those who never felt safe in their own skin to now lift themselves into the person they deserve to be and become. Regardless of how the world treats POC (People of Color), that will never change the worth of those people.