Today marks the end of another black history month and what have you learned? Did you spend the last 28 days in quiet contemplation of what it means to be black? Or did you, like most, take as little notice as possible of the never-publicized-adequately month-long celebration?
It seems most people are not sure what to think of black history month. It’s often an awkward jumble of events with little cohesion. It is supposed to be a time of learning; a time to celebrate the whole of black culture; a time to be invigorated by past successes in order to prepare for future gains. At least that is the way black history month is in my mind.
Despite its somewhat nebulous existence, black history month is so very much needed in America today. This statement, at face value, is probably enough to raise the hackles of some and evoke joy in others. But I am not advocating black history month for the hackneyed reasons (such as exploring past injustice) some use to justify its existence; it is needed because many black people lack knowledge of self.
It is an exhilarating experience to learn of the triumph of someone within your own culture, a culture that is often vilified (in minds, if not publicly); a people who are used as political pawns (by both major political parties), a group that is patronized by simpering “activists” as often as shunned. Black people should relish these triumphs and use them as a foundation to do more great works. A firm understanding of what is possible, even when facing extreme opposition, is an incalculable boon to the young black men and women in search of an identity.
It is for all these reasons black history month is misused and misunderstood. No amount of VH1 tributes, Comedy Central special series on Black comedians or Nick at Nite features can make up for the actual scholarly pursuit of understanding your own history. Commercialism, that ever-present miscreant, has over-run the month devoted to black history. I enjoy the benefits of capitalism as much as anyone (I especially enjoy Starbucks coffee); it just seems that some things should be above that particular fray.
In order to keep black history month from slipping into quiescence there needs to be a more coalescent sense involved. Black youths are destined to be ill informed if their largest source of information regarding their own culture is television. We need to do more to educate rather than entertain.
What, then, should black history move toward? The world is increasingly perplexing when it comes to matters of race and ethnicity; the landscape shifts seemingly without direction. Black history should ultimately be a time to take stock in us and immerse ourselves in the narrative of our culture.
There are those who believe that race should not matter in most circumstances (while I subscribe to this belief I am in no way naíve enough believe this notion will prevail). Others consider race to be an issue which should inculcate society by all means. To me, an ideal black history month would unite these two viewpoints in a month-long period of acquainting and equating blackness to greatness. As one campus newspaper asserts, black history month should never end–the essence of the month should continue and spread to the rest of the year. The month of February should encapsulate these ideas, giving a clear idea of what black success is in a microcosm.
In the future, black history month will hopefully be a more widely-celebrated time, in fact as well as in name. The current amalgam of music, art, history, culture and heavy dosages of commercialism needs to be refined into a resonant mixture rich with history and an eye to the future. At that time we will truly be able to celebrate black history.
James P. Kent ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in business management and economics.
