Black History Month

It's that time of year again. The winter is getting harsher, football is coming to an end, the stress of pleasing your loved one (or finding a loved one) for Valentine's day is overwhelming and America is relying on an oversized rodent to tell us when to expect the warmth to return. Sounds pretty horrible, right? However, there is a silver lining to arguably the worst month of the year. It is Black History month. For each person, the month means different things. For me growing up in Tampa, Florida it was the one month I'd actually learn about black history, and by high school, there was no more Black History month education. The only black history I learned in high school were throw away lines in our "complete" U.S. history textbooks. It is ironic that Black History month is also the shortest month of the year. To me, it symbolizes how at first the "celebration" was solely a formality and not a truely educational process. However, at this great university we have plenty of classes about all types of history. From traditional African history to the history of the hip-hop culture, it's all there.