For many at South, Black History Month means much more than just a date on a calendar. It is a vital, yearly opportunity to be seen, represented, and deeply connected to ancestry, sophomore Amilya Johnson, Secretary of Black Student Union, said. Johnson sees this month as a celebratory deep dive into the pride, accomplishments, and history that define Black culture.

South’s academics will include a new class on Black history and culture as AP African American Studies encompasses the history of Africa, covering geography, as well as the African American experience in the modern day, Tara Tate, Social Studies Teacher, said. The class has been proposed before, but lacked sufficient enrollment, Tate explained.

“I kind of view this as a Black History Month course all year,” Tate said.

BSU is also trying to promote the AP African American Studies course to its members and are encouraging students to take it, Johnson said.

“Having a course that highlights my culture and heritage means a lot. It means I can learn about where I came from because I feel like you don’t get that type of information from the school,” Johnson said.

South has encouraged education about different cultures this Black History Month, Andrea Ball, Social Worker and BSU Co-Sponsor, said. BSU celebrated Black History Month this year by hosting the annual potluck on Feb. 26, junior Kaitlyn Lewis, Co-Vice President of BSU, said. Students met in the Lyceum during the day to eat cultural food that ranges from Haitian food to soul food, play games like Jeopardy, and discuss their experiences as  Black students, Lewis said. South invited students from other Black Student Unions to attend, Ball explained.

“We hosted the potluck to celebrate Black History Month, but we’re going to have discussions around the students’ experiences with being a minority in the North Shore,” Ball said.

During February, BSU provided morning announcements highlighting Black people who have had a large impact on history or Black culture, Ball said. BSU members were also encouraged to complete an independent project on the Black experience and present it to the club, Lewis said. The projects could focus on parts of Black culture, Lewis said.

Although the projects are centered around the Black experience, BSU is open to all people, Lewis said. Being a minority race can make it hard to feel included in her community but BSU always offers a place to feel connected, she said.

“It’s a really nice club for the community,” Lewis said. “I’ve gained so many friends, and it’s a nice space to talk about issues we face.”