Black History Month

The month of February represents the time when we acknowledge the black Americans who paved the way for people like myself. People like Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Dr. King, Jackie Robinson and so many more who accepted difficult and even life-threatening challenges. These courageous people looked adversity in the eye and overcame it. What I like is that all these individuals had a common goal — to help people by breaking the routines that were accepted as the normal way of doing things; however, that way was not the right way or even the American way.

Black history goes centuries back and what I love is how the next person who writes history follows in the footsteps of the individuals before them. Dr. King built on the foundation that Harriet Tubman laid. Harriet Tubman built on the legacy of Sojourner Truth. So I will continue that. My hope as I get older is that these people will never be forgotten. Our world is so interested and anxious about the future, but we can’t forget how far we’ve come. A lot of people sacrificed their lives to make sure the people who come along after them would have better lives.

My African-American studies course taught me a lot about the history of blacks, but one lesson that I will always remember is that African-American history is America’s history. America has taken a new form because of the actions of many African-Americans. The brave individuals who paved the way did not do so just for blacks, I’ve come to understand that their actions was to make the entire world a better place.

Matthew Maggit is a sophomore in accounting in the College of Business Administration. Matthew decided to come to UIC because of the business program’s reputation and because he wanted to study at a campus with a diverse atmosphere. He likes how close the campus is to downtown Chicago and the Willis Tower. In his free time, he loves to surround myself with loved ones, and he enjoys sports and going to the gym.