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Ebony Bailey is a featured editorialist from Granite Hills' AP English Language and Composition class. She thinks Black History Month isn't celebrated enough in the Porterville community.
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Black History Month: is it celebrated in Porterville?
Ebony Bailey | 1/28/08 | Opinion
s Black History Month comes to an end, there have been many celebrations of it across the nation: schools hosting Black History Month events, children in Virginia dressed up as famous black leaders, students in Newburg sang and danced to African American musical legends in celebration. But what about in Porterville? Black History Month is not celebrated or recognized enough in Porterville or elsewhere in the local area, and it should be.
The month of February, Black History Month, is a month that recognizes and honors the achievements that blacks have done for the United States of America. By celebrating this month, it lets people embrace their heritage with pride and gain knowledge about their culture. It is a shame that this month is not celebrated enough in our local area.
A recent poll showed that 100 percent of Granite Hills' students surveyed said that Black History Month is not celebrated enough in Porterville. Many of the students said one of the reasons why Black History Month is not celebrated enough is because of the low percentage of blacks in the area. Well, so what? The black citizens we should honor did not only do things for blacks, but for women, other minorities, and the nation as a whole. These prominent black individuals should be celebrated throughout the whole nation, not just the black segment of it.
Being a black student myself, I would like to see more celebration of the month in Porterville, and learn more about black history in school. Most of my knowledge of black history comes from Google or Wikipedia, enough said.
The worst part is, I don't think the students care if they celebrate Black History Month or not. As I asked a student if they thought Black History Month is celebrated enough in Porterville, they responded "Well what about white history month?" I thought "Oh just answer the question," but instead I just said, "Why didn't they establish a white history month? We learn about the achievements of our Caucasian ancestors all year round in school anyways, for black history, our students learn one unit, civil rights. So I feel no need to establish a month like that, but if they really want to, then go for it."
I'm not just saying Porterville should only celebrate or recognize Black History Month, but also the months dedicated to the other minorities as well. Hispanic Heritage Month is during the month of September, American Indian Heritage Month in November, and March is dedicated to women's history. To be honest, I had not even heard of American Indian Heritage Month until yesterday. Our local community should be recognizing all of these months, and be doing something, even if it's to the smallest degree, to celebrate them. Porterville is 54 percent Hispanic, so why don’t we at least celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month? Our community needs to join together, and celebrate the heritage of all cultures. The children of our local area should be able to learn about their heritage and celebrate it as a community.
For more information about Black History Month, click here!
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