On this date (Feb 28), we mark the end of Black History Month. Since the late 1970s, Black History Month has been observed/celebrated annually in the US and Canada in February, and in the UK in October. This time of observance and education was started as Negro History Week back in 1926 by a man named Carter G. Woodson, with the explicit goal of educating the American people about the achievements and back stories of African Americans.
When he started it, his stated purpose was to make the history of African Americans a significant part of American history as a whole. In fact, he hoped that at some point Negro History Week would outlive its usefulness. And one could make an argument that to a small extent, his goal was realized – African American history is taught at all levels of education… it’s virtually impossible to find an American History textbook that doesn’t include at least some passages about black history – even those approved by the Texas board of education!
Like everything else that relates to history in this country, there’s no shortage of controversy surrounding Black History Month. For decades now there have been criticisms, critiques, and condemnations of BHM from all sides. Some of the arguments are exactly what you’d expect: complaints from folks who say something along the lines of “Why should they get a month? I don’t get a month!” It’s a comment vaguely reminiscent of children who ask “If there’s a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day, why isn’t there a Kid’s Day?” And I think the answer is likely to be the same: “Every day is Kid’s Day.”
A few of the other critiques of BHM are a little better. Some have publicly wondered why it’s celebrated in the shortest month of the year. Some have said that the month gives us an excuse to ignore African American history completely for the other 11 months. There are those who wonder if the dedication of a single BHM leads people to believe that African American history is somehow separate from American history.
There are some arguments that are even more valid. In some circles, BHM has expanded from its original idea of promoting awareness of the history of African Americans to a broad push toward the promotion of pluralism and multiculturalism – leading some to wonder if the name should be changed to something more inclusive. Other critics rightly point out that BHM has been co-opted by the usual holiday demons of commercialism and marketing. And there are some complaints that BHM has morphed into a celebration of current African American celebrities, instead of an education about important historical African American figures.
Finally, there’s the realization that BHM has lost serious market share. BHM has been seriously diluted – February is also American Heart Month, International Boost Self-Esteem Month, International Embroidery Month, Library Lovers Month, National Cherry Month, National Children’s Dental Health Month, National Snack Food Month, National Bird-Feeding Month, and the ever-popular Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month.
So maybe there’s some validity to the idea that BHM is due for some kind of change. However, it’s extremely difficult to give any credence to the idea that BHM was a bad idea. There’s no doubt that black history was a gap in the minds of most American historians during the time of Carter G. Woodson. And there’s no doubt that the observance of BHM has played an important role in continuing the conversation about race relations in the US.
In the interest of pursuing this conversation, I leave you with a final thought. Think about the phrase “…all men are created equal.” For some, this is a quintessential American concept – one of the bedrock, fundamental ideas upon which our entire society is built. Here’s a question that I’d like you to consider:
Equal in what way? Are all men created equal in opportunity? Clearly not. Equal in ability? No. Status or social position? Nope. Intelligence? Privilege? Resources? Talent? Health? Influence? Obviously we aren’t equal in any of these… so in what way are we created equal?
I submit that this equality refers to our inherent value as people. There is a theory that mental health hinges on our ability to view oneself as neither more nor less valuable than another. This means that racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of bigotry really are crazy!!
So, in closing, I hope that sometime during this month, you found a way to learn something about African American history that you didn’t know before… and I hope that, starting tomorrow, you have a great American Dietetic Association National Nutrition Month.
