COMMENTARY: Black History Month: Triumphs deserve tribute

Lawrence E. Norfleet III

When the question of why there should be a Black History Month is asked, the first thought to come to my mind is progress. I feel that Black History Month makes the whole nation take a few days of the shortest month to recognize the progress of a culture that underwent countless transgressions.

Black culture deserves recognition; I don’t know of too many other races that can undergo the scrutiny of this once-cruel country that we call America. Our ancestors were not asked, “How would you like to come to America?” Instead, we were brought here in chains and made to do the work nobody else wanted to.

However, the special thing about black people is that we didn’t stay there. We knew that there was something better America had to offer besides enslavement. Those same ancestors sang songs of hope to encourage each other that being a slave wasn’t the purpose God set for them.

A plan to escape from hard times to freedom was set into motion and the revolution of what we today call the escape from slavery began. Since those times, just using the word African-American can prove that we as a culture have come a long way.

Every February marks another milestone of progress – progress made and progress to come.

Lawrence E. Norfleet III

Louisville sophomore

Parliamentarian,

Black Student Alliance

This commentary doesn’t necessarily represent the views of the Herald or the university.