The month of February is nationally recognized as Black History Month across the United States. The purpose of this month is to highlight the accomplishments and achievements African Americans have made across the country and around the world. Midlothian High School celebrates this month of progression by stating a fact about an influential African American on the morning announcements every day. 

The Breaking Down Barriers Club, created to make Midlo’s community more inclusive, assembled black history-themed display cases in the open commons. The three display cases exhibit information on influential black women, social activists, athletes, and colleges. Each picture is accompanied by a small paragraph that states who the person is and the impact they have made. Upon entering the library, a book display with famous African-American authors, as well as books written about African-Americans, stands tall.

Later this month, Breaking Down Barriers will host a field trip to visit Virginia State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), located in Petersburg, Virginia. On February 24, 2020,  another field trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. will give students the opportunity to learn about black culture. Finally on February 28, 2020, Midlo’s Social Studies Department will sponsor a trip to see the movie Just Mercy, which tells the story of a black man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and put on death row. 

Sponsor of Breaking Down Barriers, Spanish teacher Joana Smith states, “The display cases only give information, while the field trips allow students to experience things that they don’t teach in the classroom.” From Frederick Douglas to Kobe Bryant, the black community has shown that, with perseverance and dedication, anything is possible, no matter the obstacles faced.