Feb 24, 2023 3 min read

The history of African-Americans has been suffocated by the wrath of the classic white ethnicity, as is known to most. It should be clear to the population that knowledge of African-American history is imperative to understanding early Colonial America.

With that being said, why could it be eradicated in some history curriculum? The configuration of the topic, in some minds, is deemed unnecessary and should not be an important detail of our history because of negative associations with the history of slavery and discrimination toward African Americans.

The slave trade in early Colonial America impacted the economy, not to mention our manufacturing systems. The conduct on the plantations during the 1800s develops the unlawful plot of our history, creating a monstrosity of mistreatment for these minorities. The development in which our society has faced is obviously gigantic, yet the praise and behavior during times like Black History Month is vastly grave.

While the month has a deep meaning, begging for forgiveness seen by white Americans fade as the month comes to an end. It is common for the majority to reject the idea of slowly-lived satisfaction from minorities, yet these dismissals do not limit the amount that it happened. As I speak about the negative white Americans, it is imperative that we not forget those who have supported African Americans. Through the dust and grime of the discrimination, those who have supported the movement usually are able to speak out on the issues they come into contact with in terms of racism. To further support, it should be certain that there is no interference on African-American issues, unlike racism.

Throughout our history, there have been many outspoken white Americans that have helped the eradication of slavery as a whole, which has created a domino effect. Recognizing those for acting on basic human decency is not an achievement in my opinion. The Black Lives Matter movement, among others, is a foundation of justice created for African Americans that have fallen victim to police brutality, yet like all things, white Americans have tried to combat this movement. The broken excuses from them have ranged from “white lives matter” to the infamous “all lives matter,” which are equally as degrading to the movement.

The relative rejection from the white community has impacted African Americans severely, as can be seen in our history books. The cynical comments made to movements have the ability to diminish the motivation for each and every one, stemming from the constant rejection. The causes people are fighting for today should not be degraded. Every movement African Americans have should be treated as a priority.

The ridiculous mistreatment of minorities has followed us into the current generation due to the continuous hatred and superficial care that the majority gives to the community. It hurts me to think that some cannot understand why it is a necessity to fight.

Danielle Phillips is a junior at Washington High School. Phillips was one of two high school winners of the 13th Black History Month essay contest sponsored by the Washington Health System Teen Outreach.