February 1st officially marked the beginning of Black History Month, but how did this national observance come to be?

Black History month originated from “Negro History Month,” which took place the second week of February. This was created when the historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life wanted people to know more about Black history. Woodson saw how underrepresented the African American community was in the American narrative and wanted to make a change. In order to accomplish this, they chose to designate the second month of February to bring attention to the role African Americans played in American history. They chose the second week of February because it included both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, two people who they considered to be important figures in Black history. While people across the nation take this time to learn about Black history, here is how our Preuss community is doing their part.

Mrs. Alcantar reached out to share some of the ways our Multicultural Empowerment club is promoting the further understanding of Black history and culture: “[Multicultural Empowerment] is planning to have two activities celebrating Black History Month. Black History Month is about promoting the knowledge, culture, and heritage of black history. Starting this week, we will be wearing colors that represent black history month; black, yellow, green and red. Each color has a specific meaning, and we will be learning about it.”

The Multicultural Empowerment club had a series of guest speakers varying from our own Preuss staff to an artist. They shared their experiences and how their race has shaped those experiences. They reached out to other clubs and invited them to join them and their guest speakers.

“We are hoping to have one or two guest speakers; the date will be announced this week. We will be reaching out to every club at school and ask them to join us in this celebration,” expressed Mrs. Alcantar.

Other teachers such as Mrs. Boquiren have even gone as far as giving extra credit options to those who attend the club meeting and their guest speakers.

Not only have our Preuss teachers and clubs worked to incorporate Black history into their curriculum, but throughout the month, quotes from different prominent figures in Black history were present in our daily bulletin as well as our weekly newsletters for Wellness Wednesday from our counselors.

“As we move forward, one of our goals is to celebrate our students’ cultures at least once per month. We are looking forward to collaborating with other clubs in the making of each celebration,” stated Mrs. Alcantar.