It's Black History Month! Who cares?
I have been an avid student of Black American history since I was a child. I find it important to learn more about the history of my people in the United States – often omitted from mainstream US history books – and learn more about myself.
Black American history is a mix of tragedy and beauty, resulting from one of the most abominable experiments in nation-bulding: the slave-based United States economy. On one end, Black Americans have been the victims of some of the most atrocious physical, mental, and sociocultural acts committed against humanity, yet on another end, Black Americans have persevered, profoundly contributing to the world of science, literature, art, and music, among other areas.
I hold to the idea that Black American history is American history. Furthermore, it is human history, and it contains many lessons from which everyone can benefit, regardless of ethnicity.
It's becoming a yearly ritual for me to frequent my blog, Facebook, and Twitter during the month of February with snippets of Black History, and on this first day of February 2013, I'm excited to do my part to spread the word.
Before I get things going this year, I'll reference my blog post from 2012 with my thoughts on why Black History Month matters in the first place:
"Why do Black Americans need a month? Black History is American History. We should celebrate it every day!"
This is true. Black History is American History, and we should celebrate it daily. However, the unique historical contributions of Black Americans in America have been neglected consistently since 1619. Black History has been separate because of its omission by historians.
Black History Month doesn't imply that the acknowledgement of Black History is limited to one month, just like Mother's Day doesn't imply that we must only celebrate our mothers for one day each year. It's just an opportunity to celebrate.
Black History Month forces people on one level or another to acknowledge that Black History even exists. Otherwise, what reminder would there be? It's not in history books, public education, or in the media. Black History Month is not a solution, but it is a step, an opportunity, a reminder, and it's valuable until we actually see a seamless integration of Black History into American History sources.
Happy Black History Month!
Louis Fouché Music