When you hear someone say the words "Black History Month" what comes to your mind? Does the thought of slavery come to your head? Maybe you think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or the Civil Rights Movement.

Perhaps you visualize Rosa Parks being arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man. Some people overlook these important events that have and will always impact our nation. Black history is more than a month, it is our life. The Civil Rights Movement impacted our nation dramatically. Heartbreak, strength, and passion is some of the words that can describe it. The emotional and physical abuse that has happened over the years, still affects African Americans today. When you sit in class reading about the civil rights movement and the segregation, the textbook makes it feel like it happened hundreds of years ago. When in reality it happened not that long ago. My grandparents faced discrimination and segregation. My parents faced discrimination. For me myself I still face discrimination and it's 2017.

What upsets me the most is the hate that we still face in this world. White students at my school are confused on why black history month is a thing.They ask why doesn't white people have a month celebrating their race. Every day is your celebration. They didn't face slavery, discrimination, abuse, police brutality, and racism. One question I have is why do you believe that white people should have a celebration month? Just answer that for me.

Black history is not just a month to me. If it wasn't for Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, W.E.B DuBois, Nat Turner, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and others what would America be today? They sacrificed their lives because they wanted equality. There is a saying on how history repeats itself, and I pray that we don't go back to those days. I pray for peace and I pray for strength for everyone. With what has been happening in our world, ranging from police brutality, to racism, and to discrimination of different religions.

All the people who contributed to the world today, did not die for this. They did not die for us to go back to hating each other. They did not die for us to get killed in front of our loved ones. They did not die for us to be scared to walk down the streets everyday. We should not be afraid to be black. We should not be afraid that if we get pulled over we are going to get a gun pulled to our head. We should not be afraid of losing a father, a brother, or a son to police brutality. We should not be afraid of law enforcement. We should not be afraid to live.Black history is more than a month to me.

Black history is my life. Black history is the reason why I am here today. It's the reason why I'm allowed to vote. It's the reason why I am allowed to share the same restroom and drinking fountains with white people. It is the reason why I am allowed to go to school with white students. It is the reason why I was able to watch the first black president run our country for 8 years. Barack Obama is apart of black history. He broke grounds and did the impossible. Thirty maybe forty years ago, if you told someone that there is going to be black president they would laugh in your face.They will tell you that will never happen.

To the younger generation and to the older generation, let black history be your motivation in life. Make history. Finish high school, and go to college. Get an education and do something amazing with your life. Do the unthinkable. Go become a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, or a politician. You can do anything with your life as long as you put your mind and your heart to it. The only reason you can't do it is because society and the world is telling you that you can't do it. Prove them wrong. Go make history. Go change the world. Don't stop fighting for your rights. You have the power to change the world. It all starts with you. You have a voice.

Are you going to use it?