According to New Jersey Demographics, 26% of West Orange’s nearly 50,000-person population is black. So, to honor West Orange and America’s black residents and history, West Orange High School has participated in Black History Month throughout February and one of the school’s prominent leaders is proud of the school and her club’s actions throughout Black History Month. 

“I would say BHM is really important since our school is predominantly black it’s important to recognize the great things black students have done in this school,” Micah Pryor (President of the Student Council and Vice-President of Unity Club) said. Pryor has led her clubs, the Unity Club and the Student Council, to create change throughout this month and the year.

“A few members from our club [Unity] performed poems at the Black Excellence Dinner and we are talking about the decriminalization of drugs and how that has affected the black community. We are working on a workshop with BSU to talk about finding your identity,” Pryor stated when asked about Unity Club’s involvement in Black History Month at WOHS. 

When asked about Student Council’s involvement she brought up the creation of the club’s black excellence shirts which she believes are an example of representation that is really important. As Pryor stated, “…you don’t have to be black to buy those shirts… it’s important to wear them to show your support for the community.” Pryor also stated that the shirts will create more good than just support. “The funds [of the shirts] go to a black student for a scholarship. Things like that are used to uplift black students.”

When Pryor’s clubs are not initiating events at the school, she believes the school is doing enough on its own. “The school is doing enough, the dinner was good … it really highlighted black excellence and BSU has done great with events like its fashion show … the school itself reads quotes on the announcements which is really good and there have been a lot of student-led initiatives this month … The dinner was the main faculty-led initiative,” Pryor remarked.

Pryor believes that the school and its clubs are doing enough during this month made to honor the history of African Americans not just in our town but in our entire country.