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Terrens Toussaint

Mrs. Crowell

Advanced composition

31 January 2017

Black History; where is it at?

I attend a private school called George Walton Academy. As long I have been at this

school there has never been recognition or celebration of Black History Month. It feels like a

slap in the face that GWA does not promote learning more about black history. This school was

built in 1969 during the time of public school integration, and many years after that the first

black student was accepted into GWA. I feel that there should be a change here at GWA and we

have to take time and look back at the accomplishments of Black Americans. In the GWA 2016-

2017 Student Handbook, GWA states that it believes in understanding of essential knowledge and

skills. I believe learning Black History is essential, just like learning World History or Georgia

History. Although students at GWA feel that we already learn about black history in our other

history classes, I believe there is not enough black history learned at GWA because students

always learn about white historical figures and thinkers in English and History additionally, if

GWA believes in respecting all heritage and beliefs, then it must acknowledge Black History.

GWA should not just teach high school about Black History GWA should also teach

elementary and middle schoolers. I understand that there could be concern about acknowledging

Black History month like parents or teachers may not support this idea. It could cause racial

tension in the school, start fights and make students more separated. The last thing GWA needs to

have is students being separated and divided. There are also students at GWA who would say that

we need a white history month, but the students learn about white history every day. We learned
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about Christopher Columbus who is credited for finding America. In English, students learn

about William Shakespeare one of the greatest writers of all time, but I have never learned in

detail about any African American writer. I do not know that much about Maya Angelou, Amiri

Baraka, and Octavia Butler, but I do know they were famous writers during their time. It makes

me feel not learning about African American writers is not worth anything to students or

teachers. Also in history I have learned about white inventers like Benjamin franklin and Eli

Whitney, but I have not learned about any African American inventors.it is like GWA is scared to

learn African American history. Is it not necessary to learn about Black History? In the GWA

2016-2017 Student Handbook, it states that GWA will promote the necessary life skills that

students need to be productive citizens. If learning about the history the students learn now at

GWA is necessary to make us productive citizens, then would it not be necessary to learn about

Black History?

When I transferred to GWA in my ninth grade year I wondered what will the school

would do for Black History month. February came along, and GWA did not recognize Black

History month. I know why this school was initially built, but GWA has changed over the years.

In addition to Caucasians, there are Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian

students. I feel that learning each others history would bring us closer together and better

understand African American history and the struggle they went through living in America. In

the GWA 2016-2017 Student Handbook GWA believe in respecting the heritage and beliefs of

others (3). As a member of a minority group I would feel that the school would respect my

heritage and my beliefs. People can also argue that GWA covers the basic of Black History. For

example, I have learned about Dr. Martin Luther king Jr., Rosa Parks, and slavery many times,

but I say that is only scratching the surface of Black History. There is so much to learn about
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black history, but we cannot just only celebrate Black History. We can celebrate Native American

history or Hispanic history. There are things in black history that are misunderstood like the

Black Panthers. It was not a hate group or a terrorist group. I talked to a student in November

and I asked what was the black panthers originally made for. The student told me that it was a

hate group. The students at GWA goes not learn about why there is an all-black college or why

BET (Black Entertainment Television) was created. Knowing the reason why there is an all-black

college is important fact to me and to other black students.

GWA could do various things to recognize and celebrate Black History Month. In the

GWA 2016-2017 Student Handbook, GWA believes that learning is a lifelong process (3).

Learning black history is part of that process. GWA does not even have to celebrate black history

month for a month; it could celebrate it for a year. There could be a class or an elective. If it was

an elective, students would have a choice whether to take the class or not. In the class the

students could write about black historical figures. GWA could put historical facts about Black

History on the morning announcements, so those who do not take the class would know just a

little bit of Black History. It can also be a club at GWA. The club can put up posters or do

activities that will make students learn more about Black History. GWA could bring in a speaker

to talk about Black History month. It would be a learning experience for the students and the

teachers. The students could ask the speaker questions if they have a question.

I believe GWA can start paying tribute to Black History Month. It can start slowly, but it

has to start now. I do not want to feel like this is all white America. I want to feel like I am

welcome, and African American history is worth learning about. GWA has to give African

American history the recognition it deserves. After years of hard labor and discrimination

African Americans went through, African Americans deserve their history to be heard.
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Work cited

George Walton Academy. 2016-2017 student handbook. Monroe: George Walton Academy,

2016 web. 28 January-10 February 2017.

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