When taking over the Black Student Association here at Merrimack, I knew one of the many things I wanted to add and switch up was the way that BHM was done.
Black History Month has a stereotype whereas it’s all about liberation and the effects slavery had on America, and the three colors associated with it (red, green, yellow, and black). Of course, all of those things are a part of Black History — a major part even — however ‘a part’ is the keyword in that sentence.
Black History is not just about our trials and tribulations but also about our perseverance and triumph. Black History doesn’t start with slavery, there was so much more to the black individual before slavery. There was a time when our skin was not looked at as something that defines who we are but an addition to the person we are, it was a form of pride and not prejudice.
Therefore when you think of black history as just the perseverance of slavery, you wipe out so much of a story, a story that isn’t often told.
Black history is not just American History, but it’s African History, it’s Caribbean history, it’s European History, it’s even South American and Asian history. The form of history that is prominent in these stories (slavery) is actually what makes us a part of so many more stories, stories that go unheard. Now is the time to tell them.
This is why this year BSA is focussing greatly on intersectionality, to highlight those stories. When you look around, you see that black is everywhere, from music styles, to clothing trends, to hairstyles, to nails, to even inventions. So if black is everywhere, why is there only one notion of what black is? Well, a lot of our history is not taught to its full extent or taught at all, or they focus on one aspect of being black and not the other things that make being a black individual so unique.
We recently did a Yasuke: The Black Samurai in collaboration with the Belonging for Asian Organization to talk about the only black samurai, who was of African descent in feudal Japan. We also did a Rep Your Flag event with all the African and Caribbean countries and to look around and see all the flags that are a part of black history that aren’t spoken about often made me even more efficient in my e-board and I’s notions for this month.
So this black history month, don’t disregard the sufferings in our history, however, shift your focus to highlight our triumphs, perseverance, and how much more there is to black history than meets the eye.
You very well could be a part of black history and not even realize it.