GREENSBORO, N.C. — When I think of Black History, I don't just think of February.
I think of it - for 365 days a year.
Black people played a major and vital role in the development of America.
Growing up, Black History and Black History month were always celebrated in my household.
As the daughter of an Army Colonel, I moved around a lot, and often I was the only black child in my classroom.
My parents made it their duty to ensure my sister and I knew our Black History. So, we learned about the leaders and activists who helped create a space for us to be successful and obtain opportunities that were once not attainable to blacks.
I remember in the second grade, my parents took my sister and me to visit Frederick Douglass' home.
Reading his memoir at such a young age sparked my interest in Black Studies. Learning beyond the figures who are typically discussed in a public classroom.
Figures like Medgar Evers, Marcus Garvey, Ella Baker, and Ida B. Wells… the list goes on.
Throughout high school, I competed in multiple Martin Luther King Oratorical competitions.
I crafted my own speeches based on Dr. King's philosophy.
My desire to learn more about Black History intensified as I entered my first year at the University of Virginia.
As double English and African American Studies Major, I took courses on Food in the African Diaspora, African American Theater, Racial Politics, and Public Health.
People often ask me, "What can you do with an African American Studies Degree?"
My response… Change the world.
Education not only spreads awareness, but it gives perspective and context to the diverse world we live in.
Knowing my Black History helped shape me as a person, an American, a woman, and a journalist.
Black History is my heritage, it's my history, it's America's history.
That's My 2 Cents.