Everyone is equal and deserves to be loved, and black history shows that. Whenever society tries to bring us down, important people in our history respond with love. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” No matter one’s skin color, everyone should be accepted.     

Black History Month is used to reflect and honor the people and events that occurred in our history. SCHS’s Black Student Union used our annual Black History Month presentation on Friday, Feb. 15, to enlighten SCHS on the culture of five percent of its students’ history.

Going into the presentation, there was excitement backstage with an underlying bittersweet feeling. BSU’s council is made almost entirely of seniors, so this was their last presentation. I felt great a responsibility since I look up to them and wanted to make this performance memorable.

The presentation started with club member junior Victoria Johnson signing the Black National Anthem, which was written by James Weldon Johnson as a rally cry for black people. She sang beautifully and set the tone for the day, the perfect way to begin educating our audience.

Then it was my time to perform with the BSU step team. Stepping’s modern day roots began in the 1990s and is a form of percussion dance. Going out on stage felt unreal. Those I know and interact with daily and those I’ve never met saw me up there with pride as I showcased my heritage and roots. Stepping on stage gave me confidence and made me feel part of something bigger than me.

The poems and monologues spoken by various club members helped our presentation connect more with the audience. Seeing my friends speak made me feel like we were all making a difference at SCHS. I believe the recitations left an impact on everyone.

For the final act, College and Career Center Resource Technician Anthony Butler sang a song that proved to be our presentation’s unifying piece.

Phone flashlights illuminated the theater like a concert. It was my favorite part of the whole presentation. Being up on stage dancing with everybody and singing with the audience was the perfect way to end, and I loved every second of it.

A small group of people can impact a community like SCHS, and I feel like I have already left my mark with this performance. BSU members build each other up as a family. We all rise together, filled with love, against this world full of hate. I rise. You rise. We rise.