History matters. Not just so you can impress people with complicated dates and events, or so you can pass your next Global Studies exam. History shows us where we are, how we got here, and why. It can open our eyes to the world of the past, and help us figure out the present.

We can learn a lot from history. There are adventures we may find absolutely amazing, other findings we find completely disgusting, and some teachings so mundane we just fall asleep in class. Oftentimes, history shows us exactly what not to do. It can reveal war and bloodshed, and a lot of unneeded and unwanted suffering that somehow seems to repeat itself.

However, the past can also make clear what we should do, what we should celebrate. It can introduce precedent, the idea that if it worked out well before, why not do it again? History also emboldens people by showing them the success of those they can identify with. It can inspire people by showing how brave people in similar situations have been, and how they changed the world.

For this reason, in the United States, each month is designated to acknowledge and celebrate the heritage and history of one or often several groups. For example, February and March are African American and Women’s history month respectively, celebrating the perseverance of two groups that have been treated as second class citizens in the past. May is Asian American Heritage month, June is pride month, and Hispanic Heritage is from September to October.

While it is impossible to learn the history of everyone in a month, or even in several years, it is still important to recognize people’s histories regularly. By acknowledging history, people open doors to learning, because the only way to do so is by knowing what one does not know.