Senior Sa’Javeane Phillips said that she noticed that Westside High School had a variety of clubs, but did not have an African American History club. In order to fix this, Phillips said that she decided to do something about it. According to Phillips, she formed the African American History Club because she feels like black culture is one of the most misunderstood cultures today, and wants more people to understand its rich history.

“[The club is] important for our school to have because we pride ourselves [on] diversity,” Phillips said. “If we don’t learn about different people’s cultures then we can’t really pride ourselves on that.”

The club includes a variety of members who enjoy learning about African American history and culture.

“I enjoy [the club] because [I am] in an environment where there are more people who are like me, and that we can relate to some of the similar issues,” Junior Erica Smith said. “I feel like there could be a closer bond because of that.”

 Smith said she believes the club is important because African American history is not taught in any of her other history classes, and she thinks it’s important for African Americans and Caucasians alike to learn about this history.

“[For club meetings] we’re just going to be talking about black history, some injustices, issues, literature [and] great figures,” Phillips said.

 If you would like to learn more about the African American History Club, it meets on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in room 214.