After the killing of George Floyd in February, Montclair High School students raised their voices, organizing a Black Lives Matter march attended by more than 4,200; forming an Instagram group called "Black at MHS" with more than 2,000 followers, raising money, and holding a protest on Juneteenth with students from Montclair Kimberley Academy attended by high school students from throughout Essex County.

Now, it seems that their voices are being heard. In October, students and staff will be observing Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day. And new to the school holiday calendar is Juneteenth or June 19, which marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with the news that the war was over and the slaves were free. It was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.