Historical events are a way for people to come together, but in order for the experience to be lasting we must broaden our perspectives beyond the event.

I was recently asked why Black History Month was important. I could’ve given an in-depth response, but my answer was simple: asking why makes it important.

I feel we need to stop designating our interest in other ethnicities to prominent celebrations and tragic events. Isolating our minds to only acknowledging honorable events at a specific time frame diminishes its importance. Black History Month is well established in awareness after 90-years of celebration.

So, let’s not continue to dwell on the why, as a society we should honor the people that changed history.
Our celebrations should be entrenched in the richness of that culture and within that we instill knowledge. Take your newfound knowledge and expand upon it beyond a designated day.

Enriching our lives about other cultures makes our interactions with each other sincerer. I’ve noticed we tend to feign interest for a moment then move on. Let’s be curious every day, because learning new things adds more joy to our lives.
Public libraries would be the best source of information for expanding our knowledge, including material celebrating Black History Month and other cultural events at the same time.

People, the year is 2016 and we’re still lacking this month and in other ways. A public library that had a day off of work for Martin Luther King’s birthday the previous month should be well aware of how Black History Month is important. Honoring people that changed history should be a natural instinct.

Society has a tendency to fall into line with stereotypical behaviors, by being close-minded to things that are different. Instead of shuttering our views, we should nurture our differences.

Different historical events are only separated when people designate them as such.

Society should spend less time telling people how to spend their time and more on how to enrich their lives.

As individuals we should want to capture the fascinating facts about other cultures. The more time we invest in surrounding our minds in different views, the more knowledgeable we become.