For most of February, Escambia County High School students put together projects to celebrate Black History Month.

All along the school’s front lobby, posters can be seen depicting different topics in relation to African American History.

ECHS Teacher Stephanie Adams said she gave the students about three weeks to complete the project, which includes making a poster, a one-page essay, providing pictures of their person or topic and quotes from their person. Additionally, the students had to write a paragraph on the origins of Black History Month.

Adams said the reason why she started the project was because Black History is an integral part of American and world history.

“There are so many influential African Americans that if we didn’t have their inventions, or if we didn’t have their innovations, then we might not be where we are,” she said. “For so long, it’s just that they were oppressed and seen as second class or second rate. I just think that’s something we need to break free from; I mean in today’s times, promoting unity and equality is the most important thing to me.”

Adams said the project has not only benefited the students, but it’s helped her as well.

“They (the students) surprise me every day,” she said. “They would come to me and say, ‘Ms. Adams, I found this and that about my person.’

“It’s amazing for them to come to me and it is amazing that they learned on their own,” she said.