Plantains. Jerk chicken. Cornbread. Warm aromas that float in Black households are transcultural — conjoining different circles at Lane Tech and across the globe. As students recount the memories that came along with their Black experiences, ethnic boundaries begin to blur, uniting them as one through the gift of community.
At Lane Tech, students describe Black identity as a shared feeling reflected by history, culture, and resilience.
“Whenever I smell different seasonings, I get different memories from when I was a young boy — when people would cook for me — and I think of all the aromas that my grandma would put up together,” senior Yasir Beloch said.
“Every day after school, I used to go to this jerk shop around the corner and eat everything there,” said senior Aaliyah Adediji. “They had mac and cheese with a side of bread and a 6 piece jerk chicken combo.”
Through migration and generational resilience, African/African-American culture has manifested in many different ways, gathering communities across continents — visible through subtle references and everyday practices. While differing by region, the impact of “Black” culture still stands as tall to African students at Lane Tech.
“Technically, I’m Nigerian-American,” said Adediji, “I grew up around other Black people who looked like me, and I adopted that culture, and I strive to uphold the beautiful parts of that culture, not the assumed stereotypes about the culture.”
Feb. 1 officially marks the start of “Black History Month” in the U.S. It aims to honor the thriving culture, achievements, and historical figures that brought Black people to salvation, humanizing their efforts while setting the precedent for those to come.
The yearly ritual started back in 1926, when Harvard graduate and historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson advocated for Black history to be properly taught during the second week of February, which purposely coincided with Abraham Lincoln’s (Feb. 12) and Fredrick Douglass’ birthdays (Feb. 14) — two historical figures whose birthdays were nationally celebrated at that time due to their notability in African-American history.
His project was first announced as Negro History Week by The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) — also founded by Dr. Woodson — promoting his initiative by providing lesson plans and historical photos to schools lacking a well-rounded understanding of African and African-American history. The traditional week rose in popularity within Black communities over five decades in major cities, until federally recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976 in the U.S. Bicentennial.
In 1986, Congress passed Public Law 99-244, formally establishing “National Black (Afro American) History Month,” later shortened to Black History Month as more began to recognize the diaspora of African culture. Late President Ford’s executive action came with a message of unity to all Americans: “Seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” And seize they did.
A century later, that push to recognize Black contributions and honor history connecting millions by blood continues in our classrooms at Lane Tech. For some students, being Black is rooted in specific sounds, places, and moments.
“Grandma’s house, specifically on Thanksgiving.”
“Pump up the Jam.”
“Friday.”
These references are more than distant memories; they show how history is lived through everyday experience across the African diaspora — where countless stories all branch from the same root of united power in the face of discrimination.
Beloch explained that being Black can mean navigating both acceptance and discrimination in everyday spaces.
“Sometimes it’s negative, sometimes it’s positive,” Beloch said. “Some people might not treat you as well as they would their own race… But when you’re with people in the community who are the same race as you…you begin to build a bond with them,” Beloch said.
From stolen land to sovereign homes, from slavery to Jim Crow, and from Trayvon Martin to George Floyd, Black people have stood beside one another, forming movements to push toward freedom.
And while free in theory, Black Americans continue to face discrimination within spaces they were promised equal access to.
“I feel that with more time and a couple more revolutionaries, we can finally get this done and be stronger together,” Beloch said.
In the early 20th century, renowned Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), advocated for Pan-African pride and self-determination. Garvey once said, “The Black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness.” This ‘glorious symbol’ he speaks so highly of has had a profound impact on American culture, creating a unique identity that could never be replicated— an identity too substantial to be forgotten.
