By Damita Miller-Shanklin

The month of February has always been designated as Black History Month. I remember in school every year, we got lessons on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and for the most part that was the two names, I identified black history month.  As I grew into adulthood, I realized we had many other people fighting for our freedom, including women. 

Black History means to me, remembering all the heroes who stood up for their rights, which bled over to me having my rights and freedom. MLK and Malcolm X were true fighters and pioneered our movement in society and in our history books. But talking about our history and remembering our ancestors is a conversation we have to discuss every day, especially with our young generation. 

This issue highlights our Black Culture with a different twist on looking at Black History Month. Every day in the news we hear about how people in power are taking away our voting rights, killing our sons and daughters, and blatantly showing racism without any filter. It has been said as much as things change, it remains the same. Let’s remember our history not only in February but every month of the year. The memories will help fight the battles that are ahead of us. 

Happy Valentine 

Damita Miller-Shanklin