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This is the beginning of Black History Month and many students may consider themselves active Black History participants because they might reread the “I Have A Dream Speech,” because they remember George Washington Carver while eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or because they have “black friends.”

Then on March 1, students of all colors go back to their lives, forgetting how valuable black achievements have been to them every day.

Therefore, it is important to remember that there would be no white or American prosperity without black history. In fact, there would be no discussion of U.S. economic power, a dominant American culture or equitable education without the deaths and lives of black people throughout the nation.

The United States would not have the economic success it has today without the profit made from slavery. The crops, which took blacks’ lives in the South, laid the foundation for American prosperity. In the 19th century, cotton grown by slaves made up 60 to 80 percent of U.S. exports.

Many of today’s wealthiest corporations can trace their financial gain directly to slavery. The financial history of JP Morgan, the second largest bank in the United States, contains companies that made their fortunes insuring slave ships in the 1850’s. Many prestigious universities like Yale and the University of Virginia were heavily endowed by slave merchants and slave owners.

The United States is indebted to those slaves who helped make this country the wealthiest nation in the world.

Maybe the next dollar should have Sojourner Truth’s face instead of George Washington’s.

Black inventions have also made prosperous life in this country possible. Where would you be without the gas burner on your stove or without your “made in America” cotton sweatshirt, and the machine that dries your clothes? What would you do without the spark plugs and motor, which start your car, or the traffic lights that keep traffic moving? What about the heating furnace to keep you warm in the winter or the air conditioner to keep you cool in the summer? Without these products, we would be lost.

Black culture has also historically defined white popular society. Without African Bambatta, Grandmaster Flash and Public Enemy heating up microphones, no one would be lining up to see Eminem today. Because of Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder and Ella Fitzgerald we have hooks, beats and rhythms that contribute to the highest selling pop albums. Now white people buy 75 percent of hip-hop, and the worldwide market continues to expand.

Black language has also made a valuable contribution. Although many people associate black language with ebonics, black vernacular has contributed to the language everyone uses today.

Black students are still connected to the rest of U.S. history. They are not independent of those who dedicated their lives for the advancements of future generation. They still climb the arms and stand on the shoulders of all those who have come before them. They benefit from the deaths of men and women like Bunche Carter and John Huggins, members of the Black Panthers who died on the steps of UCLA’s Campbell Hall so that blacks could receive an equitable education.

Without the accomplishments of blacks in the past, it could be our generation that endures racial slurs and faces segregation. We must pay homage where homage is due. Black History needs to be more than a tokenized month.

Let this not be another Martin Luther King Month. We should instead delve into the contributions of black people throughout this nation. Take a minute out of your busy month to learn a new aspect of black history. In fact, take an African American history class and support a diversity class requirement at UCLA.

Don’t let Martin, Rosa and Booker be the only people we think about this February.