Recent posts on Yik Yak have read, “I think EOH(Essence of Heritage) is a fantastic event and believe that it’s important to know and acknowledge how far the African American race had come. But to give out awards to only students of color dumbfounds me!”

Comments to this post on the anonymous site read, “You do have a point, if the white student population gave awards to only white students, then there would’ve been an outrage.” Another post followed with, “If whites held an event like this we’s [sic] face the issue of discrimination.”

In response to such commentary is the following:

Dear White People,

I`d hate to be a cliché and use the title of a movie to get through to the many who still can’t believe we have a month dedicated to how African Americans have helped to shape America, but someone was actually bold enough to say “we`s.” Yes, “we`s,” like how African Americans spoke when they were slaves, 140-plus years ago.

Why is there still a question about why Black History Month gets acknowledgement?

Black History Month was not created for African Americans to put down white people and tell them we hate them. It was created to show African Americans recognition for the many things we`ve done as a people and to remember from where we came.

11 out of 12 months I was taught white history and how white people formed this perfect America. But African Americans getting one month out of the year is such a big deal?

The fact of the matter is if there was a White History Month, then we wouldn’t bother screaming this month shouldn’t exist, that it`s not fair. As long as there was no KKK rallies or racist extremist group demonstrations being publicly held, we would not have a problem with it, we would respect that month.

In the future, I hope that people would stop questioning the celebration of our 28, sometimes 29, day month in recognition of black history and realize whether you are big, small, brown, white or yellow, we are all humans and the quicker we realize that, the more progress we can make. God knows we’ve worked hard for it.