Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the son of former slaves, earned a graduate degree in history from Harvard University in 1912. The books he read ignored contributions to history by black Americans. Woodson could have kept quiet. Or he could have grown bitter. Instead, he got busy.

In 1926, he designated the second week of February as “Negro History Week” in order to “bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history,” writes Elissa Haney in “The History of Black History.”

Because of Woodson and other black leaders, Black History Month is now celebrated in February. It’s a history filled with examples of black people who invented things or ran things or spoke out against injustices and changed society.

This week, at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene, 16-year-old Treylon Cain-Taylor emulated the example of Woodson and other African American historical figures. He spoke up because he sensed an injustice.

Dismayed that his high school – which has a very small number of minority students – paid little attention this year to Black History Month, Cain-Taylor wrote a letter to Principal John Brumley.

“I’m not asking for an assembly, maybe just something over the intercom,” he wrote. “But don’t ignore Black History just because you don’t think there’s no one who will object.”

Brumley met with Cain-Taylor to listen to his concerns. Brumley explained that the school has done things in past years, but he said, “We can probably build off your letter and do better.”

Kudos, first and foremost, to Cain-Taylor. Bob Bartlett, director of intercultural education at Gonzaga University, said: “That took a tremendous amount of courage and he needs to be applauded for speaking truth to power. That’s when change happens.”

And kudos to Brumley who listened and didn’t get defensive. “The way the principal acted shows that he’s an aware person,” Bartlett said. “Anyone in power when confronted can (get) angry. He didn’t.”

Black History Month has not been without its controversy. Some black leaders worry that designating one month “ghettoizes” the nuances of black contributions to American history. But to ignore it entirely is far worse, especially in a region infamous for its Aryan Nations past.

As Bartlett points out, “We have an obligation to take a timeout to consciously think about our history.”

March is here now. Black History Month is over. But Cain-Taylor’s action might help awaken other school districts with small minority populations. It is never too early to begin planning for ways to highlight Black History Month. In an ideal world, signs of black history would appear spontaneously in February, the way that hearts and cupids appear as Valentine’s Day approaches. But it often takes one person in a school or a district to care the most that black history gets noted and celebrated in February.

In an ideal world, Cain-Taylor wouldn’t have had to point out the obvious. But he did. And like the brave young people who spoke truth to power throughout history, things will change for the better because of it – at Lake City High School and beyond.