Letter from The Editor: This is our month
February 22nd, 2010 | Published in Letters, Uncategorized | 4 Comments
It’s Black History Month Black people. This is our month! What are you doing to make history?
I hear many people saying they disagree with Black History Month. Some asking why it is just one month devoted to Black History, or asking in turn when White History Month is? I say to that, Black people are never satisfied. We must embrace the past! We must embrace the past so that we can know where we came from and how we must progress from there.
We were slaves… remember? Dumb, dirty and inferior, let them tell it, we didn’t know much about ourselves let alone our ancestors or forefathers until one smart Black man made a move to show the importance of our heritage, of our history. In 1926 United States historian Carter G. Woodson created “Negro History Week”. Woodson chose the second week of February because the 12th and 14th marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of our people: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass.
Then we upgraded in 1976, fifty years after the first celebration, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History used its influence to institutionalize the shifts from a week to a month, and from Negro history to Black history. Think of how proud Black people were during this time, how much they had to endure to make sure we were present in the history books… now look at us… ungrateful.
Don’t talk about it, be about it. If you don’t like something just dive in head first and make a change. Extend Black History by being about it; just as Woodson has, just as President Barack Obama has. Children 20 years from now will be quizzed on how influential January 20, 2009, what it meant to us then, what it means to them now. Think about our fellow minorities who don’t even have a month of celebration. How can we help them progress? History is not just about what happened to us, but how what happened to us has helped changed the world. It’s bigger than you thought, right? Nah you knew this, you just don’t care. But you should, especially this month… especially this month!
It’s Black History Month people. This is our month! What are you doing to make history?
Love,
The Editor
February 22nd, 2010at 10:13 pm(#)
I agree Aerial, I think back to to 70’s and I personally think of the fashion, the awareness, and the pride that I damn near feel just looking at photos, watching the movies especially Wattstax and reading about it, the minute I finish either of those things I’m back to reality with the unaware and the just don’t care. I’m by no means the model Black citizen but my goodness how time and an ounce of progress has made us forgetful and selfish. It’s wonderful to have nice things but did we throw away the village for them? I wouldn’t necessarily say we need to be grateful for a month, but certainly grateful to those such as Carter G. Woodson who were bold enough to act on and stay true to vision. People need to be reminded of that constantly and celebrate that constantly because we are slowly but surly being left behind.
March 3rd, 2010at 9:53 am(#)
It may sound corny to say Black History Month should be every month- A daily practice
what I meant to say is- if this country/ in which our ancestors built on free labor/ chooses to recognize our accomplishments and existence one month our of the year/ so be it/ I am not expecting anything/but what we/as Black folks do in our lives/ in our homes/with our friends/family and communities must extend beyond one month of celebration/it is imperative- that we understand our legacy/the term Sankofa derives from a West African dialect meaning precisely “go back and get it”/ go back and get your roots/the roots are what nourish and hold up our tree of life -/we are supported and inherently loved by our roots/ the roots- that many of us so often forget/don’t know or do not care to know/
as for me I strive to remain rooted in perpetual awareness and celebration of who I am and where I come from/in this truth I continue to grow/and make new history/
I am committed to the truth about my people/ my past/ myself/its not hard/we just have to be committed/
(Thanks for reading)
March 3rd, 2010at 7:20 pm(#)
well said! i am trying to make history everyday…in some small way
March 7th, 2010at 9:40 pm(#)
I REALLY enjoyed this post!!! I imagine if there were never a Black History Month established, a lot of African American people would not have been motivated to be so great today. I hear people saying all the time “history is history.” However as an American with African ancestry, it is interesting to have cultural knowledge of my roots. African Americans are a great nation of people, EVERYTHING we do, we are the best, and it should excite you to know where it all came from.