Black History Month is celebrated worldwide to remember the important events and people in the history of the Africa diaspora. However, it is celebrated during different times of the year depending on where you are in the world. For example, in the United States and Canada, it is celebrated during the month of February. Meanwhile, in Ireland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, it is celebrated in October.
I spoke with Jeffery Galloway, an African American senior at Washington High School about what this month means to him. Many different people of color have influenced the world, but the ones that Galloway looks up to the most are “Barack Obama, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr, Katherine G. Johnson, John Lewis, and Jackie Robinson.” To Galloway, being African American means “that we have to work twice as hard as anyone to achieve or accomplish your goal in life.”
Recently there have been discussions across the nation about how well the public school system educates its students about Black History Month. Galloway “feels like Black History Month is underrepresented in all school curriculums.” There have also been discussions about how students interact with other students based on their skin colors. In Galloway’s eyes, he will “always and forever think Washington needs more diversity.” “I mean look at the staff and teachers,” he says.
In addition, at some schools, a lot of discrimination can happen. In Galloway’s words, “there’s discrimination at Washington. There’ve been a couple of moments me and others at Washington have been discriminated against.” This usually happens because of skin color, religion, or how they look. We asked Galloway if any changes should be made surrounding the Black community, and he responded by saying, “I think we need to have our voices heard, and giving us a chance.”
Some of Galloway’s favorite things to do in his free time are “reading, photography, cooking, baking, volunteering/community service, movies, collection, and traveling.” He seems to have many diverse interests which gives him multiple options on what he wants to do in the future of his life. Galloway feels like he “can give to the Black community by [bringing] more awareness, guidance, and understanding.
Olivia Gunnt is currently a sophomore. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden and was partially raised there, but moved to Callifornia in 2015. This is her first year at the paper, and she's interested in writing about the LGBTQ+ community, politics, and opinions. She enjoys drawing, writing, reading, and listening to all kinds of music. Ever since Olivia was five, she’s had the dream of creating and owning her own streetwear fashion company, since she's always loved fashion and has always been very independent.