By Leilani Neal
Courier Staff Columnist
With the multi-ethnic group at James Logan, the same could be said about Ms. Dorothy Allen’s African American History class. With celebrating Black history this month, Ms. Allen has decided to take her students and have them create an alternate universe for their ethnic background. African American or not, every student was to create a story about their county and their people’s history. And it had to be perfect. With the terrifying and brutal history of the African people, the second month of the year, “is the shortest… We get the short end of the stick at times.” Most feel that way, but with Ms. Allen she has decided to not only celebrate Black History month with her students but to also have them create a world that they would’ve wanted their people to experience. Something perfect, something that would make anyone proud to announce who they were.
But some don’t live up to their own stories and or they don’t appreciate Black History month the way that they should. “I see these young kids walk around here killing each other and walking around… With no clothes on and their pants hangin…” (Bobbie Webb). To see the hard work and struggle that African Americans went through to get their future children to a better place and to repay them for their pain and suffering as they fought, we take what they gave us and waste it. Acting “ratchet” and “ghetto” as if that is all we are. With a Facebook interview with James Logan student, Sarah Szwaja (grade 12) she shares her true opinion about black history month, “I don’t that Black Hist should take up a whole month… But everyday, Black History month should be every single month.” And earned nothing but respect, to see how people want Black History to last every day but yet the strength and appreciation for most of the people that it was meant for (to help them remember) it is nearly thrown away.