Photo by: ©WFU/Ken Bennett
The Bigger Picture: Black History Month
2/1/2024 8:00:00 AM | General
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde
For many people, February is a month associated with Valentine's Day, President's Day – even the renowned Groundhog Day – and rightfully so. However, year-by-year, the infamous question arises, "why is there an entire month dedicated to just Black history?"
In writing this piece, I struggled to think of ways to truly answer that question.
As an African American male from a small town in eastern North Carolina, several thoughts permeated through my mind. Then, it became apparent.
Simply put, black history is American history.
"Black history isn't a separate history. This is all of our history, this is American history, and we need to understand that." – Karyn Parsons, actor and author
Now, the easy rebuttal to that would be "if Black history is American history, then why make an entire month about it – race shouldn't matter."
In all honesty, that is a very fair point. However, simply ignoring race is a slippery slope.
Oftentimes, to ignore race is to ignore the issues faced by African Americans on a daily basis. It is to ignore the disenfranchisement of a community that was beneficial in the construction of our beautiful country.
As writer and professor Audre Lorde once said, "It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences."
To truly create a safe and comfortable environment for everyone, we must first identify what makes us different as individuals. Then, we should embrace those differences and celebrate them.
In my opinion, that starts with observations such as Black History Month.
By definition, Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing our central role in U.S. history.
Since originating in the late 1900's, several U.S. Presidents have issued annual proclamations of Black History Month. Additionally, Congress has regularly passed resolutions honoring the annual observance.
The month, in its origin, is a time to commemorate the accomplishments of African Americans in the United States. To me, that is powerful based on the years of oppression that we faced as a race and the rich culture that derived from that struggle.
As I reflect on what Black History Month means to me personally, I think of a quote that my grandfather often shared with me growing up.
"If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going." - Maya Angelou
For me, understanding the difficulties those who came before me faced has always been a vital part of Black History Month.
As a kid growing up, that meant researching African Americans that excelled in their respective sports despite issues they may have dealt with based on the color of their skin, such as Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods.
Later, as a student at a historically black college and university, that meant researching fellow HBCU graduates such as W.E.B Dubois, Toni Morrison and Stephen A. Smith.
Now, as an employee of Wake Forest and an African American male navigating a career in collegiate athletics, that means understanding the impact trailblazers such as Jim Caldwell – the first-ever African American head football coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Sonya Henderson and Keeva Jackson-Breland – the first African American scholarship female athletes at Wake Forest, and Charlie Davis – the first African American to win the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year Award, have had on our University.
These individuals, along with countless others, never allowed the color of their skin to dictate their future and they are why Black History Month means so much to me.
Now, back to the original question.
Why is there an entire month dedicated to just Black history?
Well, everyone probably has a different answer to that. For me, just one day simply isn't enough to celebrate the achievements of an entire race that was fundamental in the establishment and construction of our great nation.
This month, I challenge everyone to educate themselves and to view observations such as Black History Month as so much more than a check-the-box item. Take the time to listen, to understand and to act when needed. We obviously can't change the past, but we can create a world where our differences are embraced, rather than frowned upon, for generations to come.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
In writing this piece, I struggled to think of ways to truly answer that question.
As an African American male from a small town in eastern North Carolina, several thoughts permeated through my mind. Then, it became apparent.
Simply put, black history is American history.
"Black history isn't a separate history. This is all of our history, this is American history, and we need to understand that." – Karyn Parsons, actor and author
Now, the easy rebuttal to that would be "if Black history is American history, then why make an entire month about it – race shouldn't matter."
In all honesty, that is a very fair point. However, simply ignoring race is a slippery slope.
Oftentimes, to ignore race is to ignore the issues faced by African Americans on a daily basis. It is to ignore the disenfranchisement of a community that was beneficial in the construction of our beautiful country.
As writer and professor Audre Lorde once said, "It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences."
To truly create a safe and comfortable environment for everyone, we must first identify what makes us different as individuals. Then, we should embrace those differences and celebrate them.
In my opinion, that starts with observations such as Black History Month.
By definition, Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing our central role in U.S. history.
Since originating in the late 1900's, several U.S. Presidents have issued annual proclamations of Black History Month. Additionally, Congress has regularly passed resolutions honoring the annual observance.
The month, in its origin, is a time to commemorate the accomplishments of African Americans in the United States. To me, that is powerful based on the years of oppression that we faced as a race and the rich culture that derived from that struggle.
As I reflect on what Black History Month means to me personally, I think of a quote that my grandfather often shared with me growing up.
"If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going." - Maya Angelou
For me, understanding the difficulties those who came before me faced has always been a vital part of Black History Month.
As a kid growing up, that meant researching African Americans that excelled in their respective sports despite issues they may have dealt with based on the color of their skin, such as Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods.
Later, as a student at a historically black college and university, that meant researching fellow HBCU graduates such as W.E.B Dubois, Toni Morrison and Stephen A. Smith.
Now, as an employee of Wake Forest and an African American male navigating a career in collegiate athletics, that means understanding the impact trailblazers such as Jim Caldwell – the first-ever African American head football coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Sonya Henderson and Keeva Jackson-Breland – the first African American scholarship female athletes at Wake Forest, and Charlie Davis – the first African American to win the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year Award, have had on our University.
These individuals, along with countless others, never allowed the color of their skin to dictate their future and they are why Black History Month means so much to me.
Now, back to the original question.
Why is there an entire month dedicated to just Black history?
Well, everyone probably has a different answer to that. For me, just one day simply isn't enough to celebrate the achievements of an entire race that was fundamental in the establishment and construction of our great nation.
This month, I challenge everyone to educate themselves and to view observations such as Black History Month as so much more than a check-the-box item. Take the time to listen, to understand and to act when needed. We obviously can't change the past, but we can create a world where our differences are embraced, rather than frowned upon, for generations to come.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
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