A box of posters labeled “50% off sale!” sits in the front of the Binghamton University Bookstore. I look through the abundant poster selection and realize that it is a tribute to February’s Black History Month, as evidenced by the photos of Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, as well as several other prominent African-American figures featured.
Apparently “I Heart Beer” posters are much more popular among the dorm-decorating crowd than posters of inspirational abolitionists, politicians and leaders of people who have been unjustly oppressed in American history.
Although I can’t speak for what Black History Month meant for Americans in previous generations, I can speculate that sometime along with the death of the VCR, Black History Month seems to have lost the sincere reverence it deserves.
For many students, Black History Month is just another abandoned member of the “Neglected Holidays Club” like Labor Day or Memorial Day. The events rarely harbor deep thought among young crowds even if they were meant to, even if classes may be canceled as a sign of respect toward these special days.
Black History Month started out in 1926 as “Negro History Week,” marked by the second week of February, which contains both Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’ birthdays. Formed by a historian named Carter G. Woodson, the holiday was intended to be a time of celebration, education and remembrance of the great role of African-Americans in this country’s history and society. In 1976, the holiday was rebirthed with a new name and an official claim to the entire second month of the year.
The national holiday is a time to remember African Americans who made major contributions to our national community, such as Maya Angelou, an internationally respected black female writer; Fredrick Douglass, an abolitionist voice for the unheard; and Harriet Tubman, a leader of the Underground Railroad who helped lead hundreds of slaves to freedom in the North.
Black History Month is also not just a time for the “big name players” to be remembered, but a time to appreciate the lasting effects that some lesser talked-about black members of history have on our daily lives.
For instance, without The Little Rock Nine, who boldly claimed their deserved rights to equal education and attended an all-white school for the first time in 1957, I probably wouldn’t be sitting next to a few of my friends in the Lecture Hall.
Without Chuck Cooper, the first black basketball player to be recruited by the NBA in 1950, my favorite sports team, the Boston Celtics, could be missing 13 out of 15 of its players and a little bit lacking in talent to say the least.
To treat a month devoted to the lives and deeds of powerful African-American figures (who made a mark in history despite horrible discrimination) as just another faceless holiday is a serious mistake.
But it is also important to keep in mind that Black History Month isn’t some kind of happy-go-lucky reassurance of complete racial equality in America. As much as there have been brave men and women before us who changed the role of African Americans and minorities in America over the years, it would be foolish to say that racism and prejudices have been entirely depleted. This holiday by no means symbolizes the end of the battle against racism in this nation.
So as this month comes to a close, let’s not dismiss the significance of Black History Month. Let’s bring meaning back into the holiday and not let it get overshadowed by Hallmark’s favorite February event, Valentine’s Day. Let’s see the holiday not just as an acknowledgment of the advancement made in the past to overcome segregation but also as an encouragement for the further progression of America into a more accepting and socially equal country.
Happy Black History Month!