Dialogues on… Black History Month
by MichelleHuxtable
Black History Month is a curious thing. Nobody knows the right way to go about it. Those with good intentions try to post little-known Black History facts via Facebook or Twitter. Unfortunately by the time you hit “refresh” it has already been moved from the home page and overrun with new and more trivial status updates. Instead of me telling you why you should know who invented the stop light, why Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, or that on today in Black History somebody somewhere did something, I decided to bring together some of my favorite people whose opinions I deeply cherish and let them tell you about Black History Month. Continuing in the format of last week’s “Dialogues”, I asked them five questions and they provided awesome answers.
Michelle Huxtable | Go ahead and introduce yourselves.
Hi, my name is Theo Martins, musician, visionary and life enthusiast.
I’m A.M. Harris, currently studying Political Science and Philosophy at Alabama A&M University.
My name is Leah Marshall, I am a Sophomore Bio Environmental Engineering Major and I attend North Carolina A&T State University.
Modi. Founder of DC to BC, Maryland representer, Boston College graduate, and a Brooklyn resident at the current moment. The Great Progression, coming soon.
Michelle Huxtable | I know a lot of you have different ethnic backgrounds. In the context of your race what does Black History Month mean to you?
Theo Martins | To be honest, growing up Black History month was something I never had a strong relationship with, because I felt it was more geared towards Black Americans. I’m a first generation Nigerian American, so my culture ties were all drawn back to my parents and their culture, of course, they also understand and have been affected by the impact of Black History amongst such.
Leah Marshall | I am an African American, I am pretty sure I am a descendant of slaves and my mother has told me of Native Americans on her side. Black History Month means a month where we as a Nation can reflect on the contributions that descendants of Africans have made in this country. Every race has contributed in this country whether it has been as slaves, political activists, or even inventors and that should be acknowledged.
Modele ‘Modi’ Oyewole | Great question. It’s funny, because I’m 1st generation Nigerian-American, meaning that my parents were born there, but I was born here. I don’t have grandparents that remember the Civil Rights Movement, or parents that were faced with the same type of adversity as an American-born Black person. Regardless, I still believe the month is a time where Black people can reflect on the progress that our race has made. It’s an American holiday, but I look at it as a time to embrace Blacks everywhere.
Michelle Huxtable | What was your experience in middle/high school during Black History Month? What were you taught? Any suggestions on how to improve that?
Modi | I went to a Quaker School that embraced Black History Month. I don’t really remember what I was taught, but I distinctly remember that when February rolled around, BHM was a theme that recurred for the whole month. Improving that? I guess just to continue to teach people who was important and who has paved the way in Black culture for us to get to where we are today, as well as bring those who are currently doing that same thing for Black people into the conversation. In other words, celebrate both the new and old trailblazers.
Leah | My experience during Black History Month in middle/high school was…. frustrating to say the least. I came from a predominantly white school. So, it frustrated me because it seemed that they taught us about the same 3 or 5 people. As an African American I know about different people because my parents and family would educate me, but it would upset me because I never felt that my non-Black counterparts would get the same education. They would only know those 3 or 5 people that we learned about every year and that is, frustrating.
Adam | In school, Black History Month was a routine. Every year it was the
same thing, regardless of grade classification. We would learn your basics: Martin Luther King, Jr. was a saint, Malcolm X was the devil, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, and Michael Jordan were the only black athletes of merit, and Michael Jackson
doesn’t necessarily belong to “us.” I would call for a complete reconstruction of the curriculum, including learning the history which is systematically erased from the books. (See Nat Turner, Assata Shakur, Rosewood, FL., etc.)
Theo | Throughout middle school being ‘Black’ was the ‘in’ thing, being African was literally at the bottom of the totem pole with acceptance and respect. Blacks looked at Africans as stinky, ashy, along with other countless terms and assumptions so my view towards understanding Black History Month was thorough, but it was also held with a grain of salt as the same Blacks who were fighting for respect from the White ridiculed the Africans who were fighting the same fight.
Michelle Huxtable | Is black history month, at this point in our progression as a nation, an effective way to inform the public about our history?
Adam | Not necessarily, because black history month is generally only received in communities that accept it, and in public schools. It would take extreme influence and measures to inform the general public about black history.
Leah | I do not think that it is the most effective way to inform the public of our history, because it seems that it is the only time that we are supposed to learn about Black History. Black History is an important part of the history of the United States, along with the histories of Native Americans, and other minorities. There should be information about how this nation truly came to be the way that it is, no matter how unpleasant the past may be, the truth should be told. Another reason Black history month seems ineffective is because the same lessons are taught about the same people each year. The curriculum never appears to change.
Michelle Huxtable | Do you feel others outside of the Black community relate or respect the idea of the month or does it make you uncomfortable to have a month dedicated to Black history?
Modi | I am Black, and I’ve never really spoken about Black History Month with people who weren’t Black. I have no idea how they feel about it, but if you look back at history and see how disadvantaged Blacks were, especially if we’re just talking about in earlier American history, any self-respecting person would understand its importance and why there’s a month dedicated to it.
Leah | I do not feel uncomfortable that there is month dedicated to Black History because I never felt that Black history was paid that much attention in the class room. It is discouraging to have a 300-500 page history book on Virginia (a southern state) with only maybe 5-10 pages of Black history included. The reason I feel that others may not really respect that there SHOULD be a Black History month is because they never got the whole story of what the slaves really went through and how big of an impact African descendants have had in this country. In 10th grade I did a project on what would the United States be like without Black people. I could see the reaction on all of my counterparts face as they realized that the US would probably be a third world country without our contribution and it was sad that they just learned that in 10th grade.
Adam | I feel that some do respect Black History Month, but many do not.Simply because they are either greedy or uninformed, per the infamous question, “Why isn’t there a White History Month?” Seemingly oblivious to the fact that, in modern times, white has become so normative that every month is dedicated to learning their history. Even during BHM.
Theo | It doesn’t make me uncomfortable at all, I think for all of the blood, sweat and tears poured in to where we are now – sitting amongst each other, all creeds, colors and walks of faith- wouldn’t have happened any other way, so it’s a prideful thing to sit and watch the dreams of those still live on after they have passed.
Michelle Huxtable | What’s the worse thing about black history month and what change can be made to make it better?
Theo| I don’t think there is anything particularly bad about it, I just think there should be more of an effective method of educating others on the African American inventors, creators, discoverers and visionaries that have shaped our culture and our world that we live in now. We can have a month dedicated to a group of people and have it run forever, but if we don’t recognize who and what brought us here, it’ll just be another month of faces and days we recognize to throw parties on.
Adam | Its brevity, 28 days? 29 in a leap year? Really? I know Black History Week was scheduled in February in honor of Frederick Douglass and Abe Lincoln, but why can’t we have January? Or even March?
Leah | The worst thing about Black History month is the curriculum. In the school system there should be set curriculums for each grade level, and the lessons should go more in depth as the grade progresses. Younger kids could learn about the basics of civil rights and then as they get older and move into middle/high school the lessons should progress. There should be more in depth classes about slavery and what really happened and the horrors that took place. Learning about a select 3 people each year is unacceptable. After almost 400 years of slavery and more than 50 years of civil rights struggles one would think there were more than three people involved in the struggle.
What does Black History Month mean to you? Is February too short of a month? Would any other month really even matter? Do school programs need to incorporate Black History into American History? Aren’t they one in the same?
Comments
I liked the dialogue. It was a creative take on discussing Black History Month. In high school they did big Black History Month events in the auditorium. Every year our history teacher’s father who was supposedly a professor of African American studies would come and talk about the great things done by Black people, but he did it in such a way that made white people and other non-blacks feel ostracized. Actually, he made everyone uncomfortable. I give my school an A for effort, but a D for execution.
Yeah often people mistake black pride for white hate and they just come off “uncomfortable” as you said. But at least you got that far. My high school never even had an assembly.
In Regards to question 1 ) As a person born in another country (Jamaica) my country of origin did not celebrate or even recognize black history month. There were various celebrations that had to do with Black heroes and their accomplishments, but never a month dedicated to them. Growing up this is what I continued to celebrate. So black history to me is something that is “American”, but something that I have began to embrace more and more as I grow up for the simple fact that I too am an “American”
In Regards to question 2)
Being from the burbs makes this question worthwhile. Growing up the time I was most nurtured on black History Month was in Elementary school; where teachers felt that being the majority of the students were of the African Diaspora it would be a brilliant idea to discuss and learn about their history. There were even lessons on Ghana, Mali,& Songhai , Kush, etc. In Jr. High School and High School the demographics changed and these lessons were never learned. We would get an occasional lesson every time the term “nigger” came up in all the books on slavery we read, but not much more. The books gave us a foundation to dig deeper if we so chose, and by my jr. ,and sr. year in high school we had done a lot to make black history month something celebrated in my catholic school.
Things to do differently, maybe offer a class or two – nothing mandatory though?
Question 3 )
No! I mean even we as members of the Diaspora don’t understand what our history is, and I think that is key! I think the focus remains on Martin and unfortunately that is not our history – there is/was much more! There is also the fact that not everyone is going to embrace these lessons we are to be learning. I think Carter G. Woodsons intentions were something else, more like a celebration of black culture via black people. Understanding , by others would of course come from us understanding, and spreading the message as we moved up in the social standings. Don’t forget
where you came from, right?
Question 4) Black history month? Really? BLACK HISTORY MONTH?? and the shortest month of the year? LOL just playing, but seriously a month shows that there is interest and I guess gives us more time to reflect. When you think about it -as bad as it sounds- it makes sense. The reason being is simple we as human beings are so busy with everything that often times we forget to reflect. When do we thing about things? Do you think about 9/11 daily? Do you think about Haiti prior to the Earthquakes? ETC. A month puts it in your train or thought, or at least thats what it’s supposed to do. I would like to see it being more than that, and see it as something to celebrate on the daily, but do others feel the same? (no i don’t wake up saying “thank god i’m black, but the thought is seriously on my mind)
5) Worse thing about Black history month is honestly (i may offend some people) The focus on Martin and the civil rights movement. It’s great to acknowledge that and the likes of the Malcom Littles, The Huey P Newtons, Frederick Douglass etc. , but black history was so much more. The same way I am able to name the first 16 presidents I should be able to name at least 16 black heroes that don’t just belong to the civil rights movement.
In regards to your answer for question 2 – I believe if it isn’t mandatory, people will not take the class. Look at college courses on Black History. Not many people take that as an elective. They are usually African-American Studies, Political Science, or History majors/minors.
Question 4 – haha I really do wake up everyday thinking, “Thank God I’m Black!” I love it. There’s nothing like it.
And oh Gavin. Always bringing the heat. This is the greatest thing I’ve ever heard: “The same way I am able to name the first 16 presidents I should be able to name at least 16 black heroes that don’t just belong to the civil rights movement.” That sums up how I feel entirely.
This was an EXCELLENT post. It was really interesting to hear from different ethnic backgrounds. I didn’t realize most schools lacked such crucial aspects of black history, until you brought it to my attention. It’s really sad, and I agree with what Leah said about expanding the focus of Black History Month.
I also think it should expand outside the schools and people should take the initiative to educate themselves at home as well. Think of how much better the country would be if people made even the tiniest bit of effort to better understand different races in our society.
“Yeah often people mistake black pride for white hate…”
So true.
Are you interested in issues facing the African American community? If so, tune into the PBS show Basic Black, the longest running show addressing people of color on television. Watch TONIGHT at 7:30 p.m EST LIVE at http://www.basicblack.org or on channel 2 in Boston. You can also participate in a live chat at basicblack.org starting at 4 pm.
[...] as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. Like the good brothers Theo and Modi mentioned in the Dialogues on Black History Month, this is awesome but they are African Americans, which is only one aspect of the entire Black [...]