High Jump Students Celebrate Black History Month

For Black History Month, our students shared their thoughts on the importance of celebrating black history and the leaders, innovators and heroes who they admire.

Black History Month is important because we need to know about our history and what people did for us to get our education today and how we got to the point of where we are. Black people have come so far, from [overcoming] slavery to having the first black president, and I think we should learn about that journey.

– Leila, Seventh Grade, High Jump Cohort 30

I admire Madam C.J. Walker because she was an African American entrepreneur and she became a millionaire because of her African American hair care products.

– Sonse’rae, Eighth Grade, High Jump Cohort 29

Today I will talk about Robert Smalls. He was a slave in the former Confederate Territory of South Carolina but in 1862 he and his family were being transported to the North. Robert Smalls single handedly took over the ship and captured the white captains and helped to free his family and friends. He also single handedly steered the ship into Union territory where he and his family were finally free. He was then elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives during the Reconstruction Area in 1866 and he served out 5 full terms in the House until he was elected into the United States Congress.

– Chase, Seventh Grade, , High Jump Cohort 30

We should celebrate Black History Month because our history is important and sometimes it can be forgotten. If we have a month to celebrate it, we can remember it so it is not lost like other religions and cultures.

– Trinity, Seventh Grader, High Jump Cohort 30

I admire Claudette Colvin because she was the first black teenager to actually refuse to give her seat on the bus before Rosa Parks. She doesn’t get as much credit because Rosa Parks was an adult and because Claudette was a teen no one really focused on her. She inspires me a lot.

– Kymari, Eighth Grade, High Jump Cohort 29

The person I admire is Malcolm X because he strongly believed in change among the African American community. Equality was not as accepted in his time he decided he was going to make a change and in the end it worked.

– Emani, Eighth Grade, High Jump Cohort 29

Black History Month is important so we can know who sacrificed their lives to give us freedom that we deserved, because without them we wouldn’t be able to do all the things we can do today. Now there are still things happening that we need to stand up for and the people back then were inspirations that show you can stand up for what you believe in.

– Rashad, Seventh Grade, High Jump Cohort 30

I admire Harriet Tubman because she led slaves to freedom in the early years to the Underground Railroad. She is a hero to us all.

– Zoie, Seventh Grade, High Jump Cohort 30

Black History Month is important because all our rights have come from our history and it’s something that was fought for over so many years and it had such an impact on people’s lives and we get to do most of the stuff we do. Doing them back then would have been impossible but we are able to do it today.

– Tramiya, Seventh Grade, High Jump Cohort 30

I admire Tomi Adeyemi, a Nigerian-American author who wrote Children of Blood and Bone and her book became very famous and it showed that African and African American women can do anything.

– Serenity, Eighth Grade, High Jump Cohort 29

I’m here to talk about why Black History is important for us this year. Sometimes in school they really don’t stress is what Black History is. We need to know about our black leaders and black presidents because we are a minority. We have to stand up for our rights; if we don’t know about our own background then we won’t make it at all. We need to talk about Black History because we’re going to be lost without it.

– Simone, Eighth Grade, High Jump Cohort 29

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