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Is Black History Month Still Needed

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Submitted By anton46
Words 594
Pages 3
Anton Stewart
02-21-13
5th period
Black History Month is still Needed
Achievement. Respect. Empowering . Black History month is a month created in order to honor the African American race and the things we have done to help build this nation. However this month is under assault by Americans that believe that the month is no longer necessary. Black History month is still necessary because it displays the achievements of the African American race, to respect the history of blacks, and to potentially empower African Americans. The African American race has helped build this nation and was and still is a key reason why it continues to prosper. Black students have the right to know about their heritage. Most blacks don’t know that the first African American male was brought to the colonies as a free man (source A). Also achievements by African Americans have made lives much easier, Lewis Latimer is a black man who invented the filament in light bulbs so it would last longer. However most Americans don’t know this and only Thomas Edison receives credit for the light bulb, the traffic light and even the process for blood transfusions were both created by black men and I personally cant remember there names or other inventions by blacks. This is an example of how the achievements of blacks throughout history deserve to be taught to children. Respect our heritage. This is another reason why Black History Month should continue to be celebrated. The thousands of blacks who have died fighting for the rights we enjoy today, the millions who’ve died serve for a nation that refused to recognize them as human beings that enslaved them, and treated them like property. African Americans heritage and greatness has been intentionally locked up and kept out of the educational system (source C and source A). Currently the perception of the black race is that of a bunch of thugs,

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