February is a time to celebrate black history no matter what you may already know about the civil rights movement or what you probably don’t know.
Big whoop if you celebrate black history all year round or if you don’t celebrate it at all. It is still a time set aside for us (black Americans).
There are many sides to people’s views on Black History Month. From some, and thankfully not many, I hear that there is no need for Black History Month at all, and from others, I hear that black history should be celebrated year-round—that the shortest month of the year is not enough for the strides we have gone through.
When I hear of people denoting the time set aside for African American history and suffrage, it is nothing but ignorance. Like the posters say in the Learning Resource Center: “If you don’t accept that Black History is an integral part of American history, We DON’T Want Your Feedback.”
Black History Month was conceived by Carter G. Woodson, who was a Harvard-educated
historian. The month was originally celebrated for one week in February of 1926 and encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Soon, responses from multiple parties arose, such as black history clubs, teachers demanding materials to instruct their students and mayors issuing proclamations noting “Negro History Week.”
In 1976, the celebration was extended to a month by
President Ford. In the drama of American history, blacks have played an important part, and it’s great that we have a month given to us to recognize this.
I understand the frustration from the demographic of people who believe that black history should be taught alongside other major American history.
We may not have been on the political or exploratory side of American history, but we were the physical and ethical constructors of who we are as a
people today.
We not only helped build America and made inventions of both convenience and
importance, but we were also the most important commerce to the whites—to do their bidding
under harsh conditions. That and that alone is one thing no one can deny.
Personally, it is a relief to have any month dedicated to the
trials and tribulations of black
Americans.
Can you imagine not having any recognition at all? This is what frustrates me the most with people who don’t think a month-long celebration is enough.
Those are the type of
people who are never satisfied. To grow from the belief that African Americans were unintelligent jungle monkeys to having a month contributed to
recognizing our strides is a great deal of significance.
Regardless of what your stance is on Black History Month,
appreciate that this is a time to be celebrated.
One thing we all have to understand is that African Americans were always about peace. That’s what the entire Civil Rights movement was about.
It wasn’t about blacks becoming greater than any other race but just to be on the same playing field, to have the same
opportunities, to earn respect from whites and to strive for the unity of all races.
The whole month of celebration is to commemorate the many trials African Americans have gone through to get us to the place most of us are today as open-minded citizens.
