How can we fix problems in our communities if we don't fully understand where they came from? That question is the main reason I want to keep learning African American history after high school. I have always been interested in it, and I plan to minor in it during college while pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree. But an Historically Black Colleges and Universities college tour to Atlanta and Alabama made that interest feel more personal and real in a way I didn't expect. One of the most impactful moments of the trip was visiting Court Square in Montgomery, Alabama. At first, it just looked like a normal downtown area with a fountain and statues. But then I learned about the history behind it and its connection to the domestic slave trade. I remember standing there and realizing how much history can exist in plain sight without people fully knowing it. That moment stayed with me. Throughout the trip, I also visited museums and historical sites in Atlanta and Alabama that showed stories I had either never been taught or had only briefly heard about in school. It made me realize how much more there is to learn beyond the classroom. Before the trip, I was already interested in African American history, but this experience pushed me to take it more seriously. It made me want to continue learning not just about major events, but also about the deeper effects of those events over time. I want to understand more about the long-term impact of slavery, Jim Crow laws, the crack epidemic, mass incarceration, and how all of these things still affect communities today in different ways. The more I learn, the more I think about how history is connected to the present. How can we fix problems in our communities if we don't fully understand where they came from? That question keeps coming back to me. It makes me want to keep studying African American history because it helps explain so much of what people still experience today. It also helps me appreciate resilience, strength, and progress in ways I didn't fully understand before. This matters to me because I don't see history as just dates and events to memorize. I see it as something that shapes how people live now. I also see how important it is to learn history from multiple perspectives, especially when some stories are not always fully told in school. My experience in Atlanta and Alabama showed me that there is always more to discover if you take the time to look deeper. Even though I plan to study science in college, I believe learning shouldn't stop at one subject. I plan to continue studying African American history because it helps me think more critically about the world around me and understand the experiences of different communities. It also helps me stay grounded in where we come from while thinking about where we are going. The trip didn't create my interest, but it made it stronger. It showed me that this is something I don't want to learn in passing. It is something I want to keep learning long after high school because understanding the past is one of the best ways to understand the present and help shape the future.