Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate African American triumphs and accomplishments, and it is also an opportunity to address some of the structural inequities inherent in our system. We have a crushing wealth gap that is a function of the ways Black people have been treated throughout history. We would be remiss if, in celebrating, we were silent about this history of enslavement, exploitation, and oppression. St. Louis is not unique in using slave labor as the foundation for its thriving enterprise. There would be no White House, Capitol buildings, or even a Wall Street without the contribution of the enslaved. Celebrate Black History Month, but make it plain. Black History Month celebrations remind us that Black folk are due more than Presidential proclamations. We are due economic justice!