Black History Month has been nationally recognized since 1976. However, an article found in USA Today poses the question to our younger generation as to whether or not we should continue to observe this tradition.

Several people contributed their own personal opinions on the matter. Although both sides are well supported, I believe that we should whole-heartedly continue to observe and celebrate Black History Month during the month of February, and in addition, do more than we have done in the past to commemorate this special time. As we have grown, it has been ingrained into our minds that February is Black History Month. This has primarily been achieved through our many years of education.

Each one of us can remember learning about Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech, reading horrifying tales of the South and slavery accounts, and recounting several praise-worthy African American individuals who inspired and revolutionized the field of music. Although all of this is incredibly important, this list of African Americans and their contributions to America barely scratches the surface.

We are missing out on a plethora of rich African American history. Our school systems fail to teach us this information, but most importantly, our own homes. Geddes Lezama, an associate television producer at Sirens Media in Silver Spring, Md. attests to this statement. “We get a lot from our parents, but white people don’t get (black history) from their family,” she said. “I feel it’s most beneficial in that way, that it’s a time for white people to learn black history, because they don’t learn it on their own.”

Another contributor to the article, Marcus Stephens, a senior at Georgia Regents University in Augusta also speaks to the lack of African American history taught in our schools and homes even during Black History Month ceremonies. “It’s for black parents to teach black children, and for adults to go and teach ourselves.”

It is for these reasons that I firmly believe we should not only continue to observe Black History Month, but also find more ways to expound our knowledge of African American history. We should talk about it more openly with our families and friends and do our own research on the subject as well. Another reason why we should celebrate Black History Month is due to the ever-growing racial tensions in America. One would have to be living under a rock to not recognize the overt racism that floods the news lines and receives global attention. For almost an entire year, our country has and continues to discuss the situation and the events in Ferguson, MO. Although the reports are biased, the fact remains that Ferguson has divided America along the lines of race. These divisions may have always been there, however I had hoped that they were diminishing or barely present by now.

Another more recent case involved an SAE Chapter on the University of Oklahoma. A leaked video of their members performing a racist chant immediately went viral and showed America once more that we do not live in a post-racial society.

Black History Month is a time set aside where we need to educate ourselves on what America truly stands for and to celebrate our diversity. Removing the pages of African American history would be detrimental to the progress we have made so far to eliminate racism and a huge disservice to our nation.