When we enter the month of February, we are not only celebrating Valentine’s Day, but also Black history. February is a time to recognize and honor the Black figures who have helped shape the history of our country. Here at LM, Black Student Union (BSU) has been planning many traditions and activities to celebrate the month. It’s crucial for Black History Month to be celebrated, and it’s great that the LM community and surrounding areas can do so. 

The LM community is lucky to have a club like BSU to help rally everyone together to celebrate Black history. Not only does BSU organize this time of commemoration, but they also work with the Student Council, specifically the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) committee. Together, the clubs plan the entire month of February to be filled with weekly activities and events. To kick off the month, the student council makes posters of famous Black figures, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robinson, which are hung up in the atrium. Little things are added to basic school days, like the new tradition of Black Jeopardy. This game is on the morning announcements, where students can guess the historic Black individual who is being described for the chance to win a cash prize. In addition, BSU takes over music Fridays, playing music created by black artists. There is usually some kind of sports event, like a basketball or dodgeball tournament, with all of the proceeds going to NSBE, the National Society for Black Engineers. Additionally, there is a spirit week in honor of Black culture. Although these fun and festive affairs are all a huge part of LM’s celebration of Black history, the biggest event is the Shades of Black Showcase. This is a showcase at LM that presents Black culture through artistic performances. Some things seen in this showcase are a choir that comes out and sings, a performance by LM cheer team, spoken poetry, and dancing from professional dance studios. This is the third annual Shades of Black showcase that has taken place at LM and this year is the first year that LM will be doing it with Harriton. The president of BSU, Aniah Bethea ‘25 says that, “Black people are so much more than the trauma that they went through, and the showcase exemplifies that.” Mrs. Cooke, the BSU advisor, believes that “Black History Month celebrations like the Shades of Black showcase provide a powerful opportunity to recognize Black cultural experiences while educating and inspiring our entire community.” Others bring up the point that it’s nice to see black people on stage performing together, since that’s not something seen very often. Everyone in the district is invited to come and watch the meaningful performances. 

Although everyone of all races and ethnicities are welcome to participate in the activities that LM sponsors during Black History Month, the participants are not very diverse overall. Bethea comments, “I would love to see more people of different groups come out. There seems to be a misconception that black history and culture is just for black people to appreciate.” Bruk Kebede ’27, the vice president of BSU, mentions, “There seems to be an uncomfortableness around celebrating another race or culture when someone does not identify as that race, and I think that’s something our community should work on. I am a part of Jewish Student Union, and I’m not even Jewish.” The celebration of Black History month is open to all people, and even just doing something little is a great way of showing support. Honor Joseph ‘27 remarks, “I participated in the student council poster painting for Black History Month and it was great to be able to enrich myself in the culture even though I am not African-American.” Black History month is a substantial time for all people, coming from any background, to step forward and appreciate the culture. 

LM does an amazing job celebrating Black History, but there are also sites all around the Main Line and the greater Philadelphia area that showcase Black culture during the month of February. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has exhibits full of Black art. According to their website, their collection “includes over 1,400 examples of fine and decorative art made by 250 artists of African descent.” Bethea ‘25 saw the exhibit and described it as “beautiful and inspiring”. The Philadelphia Theater has African-American dancers showing the themes and importance of Black History through their dancing. According to the Philadelphia Theater, “The dance company’s performances are a whirlwind of spectacularly choreographed dances, ballet and jazz side by side with the rumba.” If you are not as interested in art, but still want to enrich yourself in Black history, you could do so through fitness. Soulcycle in Ardmore is having Black History-themed rides meant to celebrate “the power, beauty, and joy of our black community.” They are also selling tote bags, where 50% of the proceeds go to the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective. Solidcore in Bryn Mawr is having a portion of class and membership fees go directly to the health and happiness of Black women and girls. Many other gyms, like Planet Fitness and Lifetime Fitness, are making donations and strides to support the African American community during this month. It would be great for our LM community to recognize and engage with the various local sites and events around us that also contribute to celebrating and supporting Black culture during this significant month.

Black History Month is a special time for the LM community to come together and recognize Black culture and the historical achievements of Black Americans. LM BSU and Student Council do a fantastic job of bringing these celebrations to the surface, and it would be great for our highschool community, no matter who you are, to get more involved and engaged with the activities and celebrations. It’s equally important to try and experience Black history outside of our school and throughout Greater Philadelphia. It’s crucial to keep observing this celebration even when the month is over, since Black history is human history, and it should always be appreciated.