The celebration of Black History Month heightens the awareness of American society to the many great accomplishments of African Americans.

It is proper and fitting that we acknowledge the contributions of valuable members of society, and in particular the inventors and adventurers who were subject to racism simply because of the color of their skin.

It is hoped that the listing of misleading statement in the article box "Black firsts" in the Feb. 11 issue of The Daily Collegian was inadvertent.

To state that a nonnative American "discovered" Arizona and New Mexico discounts the value of the lives of the North American Indians who inhabited the area at that time.

To say that Christopher Columbus "discovered" the Americas has the same connotation.

Sadly, American Indians also share the burden of racism in our society.