Uma Kumar-Montei

Zephyrus: What does Black History Month mean to you?

Uma Jumar-Montei: To me, Black History Month is an opportunity to recognize the roadblocks and obstacles African Americans have fought so hard to overcome. It’s a time to admire the strength and courage of AFrican Americans despite the awful treatment and discrimination they’ve been subjected to throughout history. The systemic racism that AFrican Americans face still permeates many aspects of their lives, and the only way to end the racism is to raise awareness to it. Black History Month serves as a wake up call to non-black people, outlining the struggles African Americans have overcome and raising awareness to the systemic racism that’s still prevalent in society. It simultaneously celebrates the progress of civil rights and the fight for equality throughout history while alerting people to the problems that still exist. It’s a powerful month!

Z: Does Edina High School sufficiently recognize Black History Month?

U. KM.: I don’t think EHS sufficiently recognizes Black History Month. I’m continually shocked at how many EHS students are unaware of the severity of systemic racism and the negative impacts it has on the black community. For example, police brutality is a huge problem in society right now, but it’s barely discussed in classrooms or even in outside conversations. Some people almost seem to be unaware that it exists! However, it’s also important to realize that you can’t relegate the history of an entire race to one month. Black history is something that needs to be celebrated and discussed all year – it’s not something we can just forget about once March rolls around. Just because February ends, it doesn’t mean black people aren’t disproportionately incarcerated anymore. The fight for equality for African Americans is something that needs to be discussed and prioritized all year. Although the month is a great opportunity to appreciate black history, the appreciation cannot stop at 12 a.m. on March 1st. EHS doesn’t foster enough discussion about black history throughout the year, let alone during the month that’s dedicated to its appreciation. But I think the Black Student Union has been doing a great job with black history month – the continue to be awesome! I think the administration and staff need to do more to recognize black history month. Not one of my teachers has brought it up in class discussion, which I think is a problem.