Black History Month is the time where Staples students should be talking about Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman. Instead, murmurs of Tom Brady’s Super Bowl performance and February break are filling the hallways.

Black History Month is a time to remember and praise certain African Americans who partook in events that paved the way for equality for every individual today. This is why Black History Month needs to be appreciated more in school.

Black History Month should not be overlooked by the Super Bowl or   NBA trade deadline or February break. Instead, Black History Month should be embraced and certain activities should be incorporated into the curriculum to celebrate. African Americans all over the country have fought to gain equality in this country, but we show a small gesture to remember those individuals. This Month Staples should remember and learn about Martin Luther King’s speeches and Rosa Parks’ actions in order to truly thank them for their individual’s marks that they have made on the country.

In each class, weather it is science or English teachers, there should be a requirement to teach students about one African American that was able to make a huge change in the field. For example, science classes can learn about Henrietta Lacks and how her DNA cells were experimented by Johns Hopkins that helped one of the most scientific breakthroughs occur or in English classes analyzing MLK’s speeches and learn about the effects of his language.

According to the U.S. census bureau, 13.4 percent of Americans are African American. This shows how prevalent African Americans are in this country. Instead of students enduring regular daily activities, Staples should designate three days in the entire month to go through a special schedule in which they participate in activities that would teach students about the importance of African Americans throughout our history.

Although February is known for the Super Bowl and a week-long vacation, everyone needs to remember the importance of this month. We need to celebrate past African Americans who have paved the road for this country and it all starts with administrative change. If conventional classes were able to pause for just three days throughout the month to appreciate certain African American individuals, Black History Month would be able to actually serve its purpose in Staples.