Do We Still Need Black History Month?
Do We Still Need Black History Month?
I’ve heard that question come up a few times so far this month (and the month is still fairly young). Some feel that it is divisive, that people in America whose ancestors were kidnapped from Africa and enslaved should stop thinking about the past and just move forward like everyone else. Others believe that it is an insult to black people to relegate their rich and diverse history to the shortest month of the year.
I believe that what most people, black, white, yellow, red, or whatever have failed to realize is that so-called black history is American history. The descendants of slaves from Africa are as American as cotton, sugar, rum, sweet potatoes, jazz, rhythm and blues and hip-hop.
I could go on about the numerous inventions and patents contributed by those slave descendants to our modern society. Yes, I could go ahead and maintain a defensive stance about what I see as blatant disrespect for a group of people who were forced to be here and given very little in return.
As far as statistics go, black Americans make up 12 percent of our population. This group of people percentage-wise also represent frighteningly well in the number of people in this country who: have contracted HIV and have AIDS, are victims of homicide, are likely to be incarcerated, and the list goes on, hardly any of it good.
The good news? Black Americans, those descendants of slaves, are still here. Despite the racism, discrimination, and stigmas placed against their skin color, they are still here, and are here to stay. But instead of being praised and supported, often our society continues to treat them as if they don’t belong. If they don’t belong here, then where do they belong?
Black History month is for everyone here in this country, to seize the opportunity to learn more about our precious, yet little known history. Perhaps it should be renamed the Real Deal American History? Maybe that would make it clear that this segment of our rich American history is worthy of being noticed and well recorded in our minds and our hearts. It is difficult to comprehend, understand, and embrace what you do not know or understand. It’s even easier to go ahead and continue to ridicule, discriminate against, and distance one’s self from this highly misunderstood group of people.
As a slave descendant myself, truthfully, I used to feel uncomfortable pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. I just didn’t feel like, in my youth, that ‘black’ Americans were regarded as true Americans. But as I studied my own family history and continued to resolve for myself some of the inconsistencies in what I was taught in school, I realized that I am as about as American as they come. My ancestors came here as slaves, picked cotton, lived among native Americans, were African, native American and European, became sharecroppers, owned land, freed slaves, some migrated from the south, some stayed. My parents, as their parents did, lived, loved, paid taxes, owned land, raised families, and served in the military. My siblings and I carry on their legacy as we also live, love, pay taxes, vote, own land, go to work, run businesses, and generally thrive. As a true-blue, real-deal, red- blooded ‘black’ African-American, my history is American history, which makes it every American’s history. Happy Black History Month!!!
Chandra Adams
Author
Shades of Retribution
www.AdrolitePress.com
www.ChandraAdams.com
www.NorthBayMediaReview.com
I’ve heard that question come up a few times so far this month (and the month is still fairly young). Some feel that it is divisive, that people in America whose ancestors were kidnapped from Africa and enslaved should stop thinking about the past and just move forward like everyone else. Others believe that it is an insult to black people to relegate their rich and diverse history to the shortest month of the year.
I believe that what most people, black, white, yellow, red, or whatever have failed to realize is that so-called black history is American history. The descendants of slaves from Africa are as American as cotton, sugar, rum, sweet potatoes, jazz, rhythm and blues and hip-hop.
I could go on about the numerous inventions and patents contributed by those slave descendants to our modern society. Yes, I could go ahead and maintain a defensive stance about what I see as blatant disrespect for a group of people who were forced to be here and given very little in return.
As far as statistics go, black Americans make up 12 percent of our population. This group of people percentage-wise also represent frighteningly well in the number of people in this country who: have contracted HIV and have AIDS, are victims of homicide, are likely to be incarcerated, and the list goes on, hardly any of it good.
The good news? Black Americans, those descendants of slaves, are still here. Despite the racism, discrimination, and stigmas placed against their skin color, they are still here, and are here to stay. But instead of being praised and supported, often our society continues to treat them as if they don’t belong. If they don’t belong here, then where do they belong?
Black History month is for everyone here in this country, to seize the opportunity to learn more about our precious, yet little known history. Perhaps it should be renamed the Real Deal American History? Maybe that would make it clear that this segment of our rich American history is worthy of being noticed and well recorded in our minds and our hearts. It is difficult to comprehend, understand, and embrace what you do not know or understand. It’s even easier to go ahead and continue to ridicule, discriminate against, and distance one’s self from this highly misunderstood group of people.
As a slave descendant myself, truthfully, I used to feel uncomfortable pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. I just didn’t feel like, in my youth, that ‘black’ Americans were regarded as true Americans. But as I studied my own family history and continued to resolve for myself some of the inconsistencies in what I was taught in school, I realized that I am as about as American as they come. My ancestors came here as slaves, picked cotton, lived among native Americans, were African, native American and European, became sharecroppers, owned land, freed slaves, some migrated from the south, some stayed. My parents, as their parents did, lived, loved, paid taxes, owned land, raised families, and served in the military. My siblings and I carry on their legacy as we also live, love, pay taxes, vote, own land, go to work, run businesses, and generally thrive. As a true-blue, real-deal, red- blooded ‘black’ African-American, my history is American history, which makes it every American’s history. Happy Black History Month!!!
Chandra Adams
Author
Shades of Retribution
www.AdrolitePress.com
www.ChandraAdams.com
www.NorthBayMediaReview.com
posted by Northbaywriter | 6:47 PM
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