Editor’s Note: As Black History Month comes to a close, the PV Student Publication has written an informational article on what school organizations and classes are doing to celebrate and spread awareness.

February is Black History Month. Classes and clubs have been doing activities to educate students about black history. 

At Pascack Valley, in history teacher Jeff Jasper’s Honors U.S. History I and Honors Public Affairs classes, each of his students have been doing short presentations on a notable African American, a company related to black history, or an event that happened in black history. 

“It’s been wonderful in broadening their understanding [of black history],” Jasper said.

According to Jasper, some of the presentations were “truly remarkable,” including presentations on Langston Hughes, Notorious B.I.G, Tupac, and Louis Armstrong. 

PV history teacher Marisa Mathias’ United States History I classes are learning about enslaved people at George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon. The Analysis of History through Film class, also taught by Mathias, is learning about Ida B. Wells, an investigative journalist during the Civil War. 

The Harvester’s club has also been learning about black history. The members have been watching a documentary on black churches called The Black Church on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 

“The film traces the 400-year-old history of the Black Church in America,” Mathias, adviser of the Harvesters club, said. “[It] shows how African Americans have worshiped, bringing their faith traditions from Africa to the Americas, while transforming these traditions into a form of Christianity that transformed American history.”

For Black History Month, the Human Rights League has been creating posters to hang around the school based on an influential African American.

“Members were able to choose an African American role model that they feel personally connected to and feel inspired by,” Kareena Shah, Vice President of the Human Rights League, said.

Shah feels that it is important to simply make people more aware of black history and Black History Month. She sees the posters as a small step of black history awareness.