My name is Tara Screen. I'm a sophomore. I play lacrosse here and I'm a criminal justice in psychology major. Black History Month to me means being able to celebrate Black History and Culture and giving this time to dedicate to all the people that have worked towards being able to be seen in the Black community and around the world. It's important to me to recognize and celebrate Black History Month because it gives awareness to people about any issues that are ongoing or past issues that still haven't been worked through and it gives us this time to really understand Black culture. I'm inspired by Black female athletes around the world who were able to make a name for themselves either in their small communities nationally or globally. I think it's important for me to see people that look like me at such a high level where I can also strive to reach that level. My experience as a Black student athlete at UMass Boston has been pretty good. I'm lucky that I have coaches who understand that my experiences are different than those of my white teammates and they're able to take the time to listen to and understand any issues that I have or struggles that I go through. An impact that I want to make on the UMass Boston community is to be unapologetically you and be proud of who you are no matter the circumstance and never dwindle your life for other people. Black is beautiful.