By now, I’m sure that most of us are aware that Black History takes place annually in the month of February.
Brief recap on the origin of Black History Month… it started in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson who initially celebrated it as “Negro History Week”, because it coincided with Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglas’ birthday. It later evolved into Black History Month, celebrated on the shortest month of the year. It’s a month dedicated to learning and remembering black culture and history.
My major concern is that black history is merely crammed into one month and after that, it’s forgotten and overlooked by many. School systems skim through black history, often choosing to teach it only during February, and leaving out crucial facts such as great African civilizations and Africa being a continent rich in resources and culture.
There’s so much more than just Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Harriet Tubman. Centuries of black history surely cannot be crammed into one month. On December 25th 2016, Hidden Figures, a film based on a true story about three African-American women who made memorable changes in NASA’s history, was released. These women are hidden figures because it took such a long time for their contributions to be recognized and acknowledged. This movie wasn’t released during Black History Month because it wasn’t just for Black History, but for American History. Their contributions weren’t only beneficial to black people but to everyone.
Black History should be taught all year round to everyone. As Andrea C. Imafidon wisely said, “Black history is everyone’s history.”
By regulating Black History into one single month, we miss out on the recognition of the accomplishments of other actual “hidden figures”.
A single month isn’t enough to acknowledge and remember Black History. Even though Black History Month has ended, it doesn’t mean you should forget about the impacts Black History has made on society until next February. Why can’t we acknowledge their contributions throughout the year? We need to discuss racial issues throughout the year. We should all care about Black History Month because it is for everyone. Stay woke and make it a part of your life to be learning about anything, whether it be history or racial issues when given the opportunity. Let the black history continue on, and let it stay with you for the rest of your life.
Image Source: http://assunnahschool.co.uk/black-history-anti-bullying-week