Black History Month is a chance to remember those who have made enormous contributions to this country, but it's also an opportunity to remember that those contributions didn't just come from major figures. They also came from millions of Black folks whose names we'll never know.

It's the stories of ordinary Black people, those still living and those who have passed, that I think of most when we reflect on this country's history. It's the story of Frederick Douglass, but also the story of the millions of other enslaved people whose voices we don't hear.

It's the story of Dr. King and of Rosa Parks, but also the story of the millions of Black people across the country and across generations who fought for civil rights in their local towns, communities, and neighborhoods. The stories that didn't make the front page of the paper.

It's the stories that take seriously the impact centuries of oppression have had on Black people, while not limiting conceptions of Blackness singularly to a history of violence. It is a recognition of all that Black folks have done and continue to do *in spite of* that violence.

It's essential to remember the exceptional contributions Black people have made to America, but also important to remember that Black people don't need to do anything "exceptional" to justify or legitimate their place in this country.