This Black History Month (BHM), the Black Student Union (BSU) is preparing for an ambitious month. 

“BHM is very important because we are surrounded by black culture as residents of Los Angeles along with many other cultures,” BSU President Madyson Phillips said. “It is also important as our school doesn’t have a lot of black students, so it spreads awareness about us and our history.”

BSU is a club that any student can join. It is a safe place for everyone, not just African American students. It is a place to talk about culture and empowerment within your community. Club members normally talk and hangout in Room 17, club sponsor Brenda Helfing’s room, where the club meets every Tuesday.

Phillips plans on holding several meetings to highlight important black figures like Frederick Douglass, Phillis Weatley and Richard Allen during BHM. They are also planning to decorate the BSU board in the hallway with those same figures, so even if students don’t attend meetings, they can see information about them in the hallway. She also plans on making a few announcements over the intercom during BHM for more people to learn about black history and culture.

“BHM is a month of remembering, a time to reflect and be aware of our past,” junior Aiden Pratt said. “It is to honor those people who have changed the world and who stopped the pain and suffering black people used to endure.”

Students in BSU are able to suggest black figures they find interesting and talk about them during meetings. They are also able to decorate posters or pages and put them on the BSU board in the hallway. This is just another way BSU plans to spread positive messages during BHM.

“BSU is not only a place to learn about our culture but it is also a club to spread positivity,” Phillips said. “I want the club to be looked at as a positive thing that should be at every school.”