Throughout the month of February, students have been busy sending out Valentine’s Grahams and balloons, honoring great presidents of the past, and preparing for the fast approaching California High School Exit Exam. But wait, I think in all this tumult, there’s something we have forgotten. It seems to me, this year we almost entirely overlooked the month of February, dedicated not just to love and romance but also to honoring the fearless African American heroes who pushed our country towards a state of equality.

It’s almost shocking that in this multicultural and diverse school, teachers and students of all races seemed to ignore this time of remembrance and recognition. In fact, besides a display case in the administration building and an essay contest based on that display, almost no acknowledgement of Black History Month was made. Is it just me, or was a vital part of our history outshone by the day of hearts and candy?

In past years, the school was known for organizing assemblies to honor this time of the year and the people it personifies, yet this year no hint of assembly, presentation, or ceremony was made. Even our own student based organization BSU (Black Student Union) didn’t seem to remember what time of year it was, and if they did, they unfortunately didn’t feel inclined to inform the remaining student body.

Perhaps, this year, students and teachers alike were just too overwhelmed by prior obligations and commitments to pay much attention to the deep-set moral issues associated with the month of February. Or perhaps, the planning and organization of events was put off so long and became so frustrating that the entire idea was cancelled.

Whatever the reason may be, nothing can excuse the fact that most people entirely ignored that it was Black History Month. In fact, I doubt most students even remembered anything about it until around Feb. 25, at which point it was far too little and too late.

Nonetheless, though we may have lost our opportunity to formally honor our nation’s diversity, the least we can do is take a moment to look around us and take in the fact that if it were not for the efforts of the people whom our school so carelessly forgot, our world today would not look the way it does. We should remember that as little as fifty years ago, the person sitting to our right in algebra or English class may not have even been allowed to study in the same school, much less the same classroom.