“We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration. And if we don’t want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards...It’s a double standard. There shouldn’t be a Black History Month. You know? We’re Americans. That’s it,” said African American actress Stacey Dash in response to the lack of African Americans nominated for Oscars this year. Dash has been slandered for weeks on social media from celebrities, everyday citizens, and even the BET network. She has been deemed as crazy, ignorant, and has been offered by the Black social media community to be traded for a famous white person that is more involved with Black people like Justin Beiber or Robin Thicke. While Stacey Dash is the most well known person to recently make claim disregarding the importance of Black History Month, she is not the first or only person to feel this way. Dash has been ridiculed and made into a joke, but why is Black History month important?
Black History Month began as Negro History Week in Washington, D.C., February 1926. Negro History Week was created by Carter G. Woodson, who claimed that Black history was too important to be left to a small group of individuals who chose to study their history. This week was initially started to make sure that school children were exposed to some sort of Black history even if it was only for one week. He chose the second week of February so that both the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln(freed the slaves) and Frederick Douglass(former slave and human rights leader) could be celebrated. One of Woodson’s main goals of Negro History Week was to use this week to prove to White America the many important roles in the creation of America and thereby justify their rights to be equal citizens. By celebrating the accomplishments of Blacks Woodson thought that he was proving their worth and that equality would follow. Woodson’s other goal was to increase the visibility of Black life and history without a negative connotation. At this time when you heard about Blacks in the news, in books, and universities it usually had a negative light. Negro History Week became Black History Month in 1976 and it is still celebrated today despite the fact that we are now all “free” and “equal.”
Times are very different from when Negro History Week was created, but there are various reasons why Black History Month is still important today. One reason is the importance of never forgetting our history as a country, the good and the bad. It has been said that you can tell a lot about a country and its people based off what they deem important enough to remember and celebrate. Another reason to still celebrate Black History Month is because America often celebrates their greatness, but fails to confront their mistakes. Acknowledging the past allows room for perseverance and healing in the future. Additionally, Black History Month helps maintain the community aspect of being African American. It is great the world is becoming more accepting and diversifying, but because African American history is so unique it is important for the heritage to be carried out as new generations are born. Finally, though Black people are free from the chains of slavery they are not all mentally free. The most common issue today that is holding the community back from freedom is the mistreatment and dehumanization of Black men for the past 120 years. Having Black History Month every year reminds us that despite the changing times Black history is neither dead nor is it the distant past because it is still relevant today.
Sources
Bunch, Lonnie. "Smithsonian Institution : Black History Month - The Need Remains." Smithsonian. A Page from Our American History. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
Wilstein, Matt. "Stacey Dash’s Solution to #OscarsSoWhite: Get Rid of BET and Black History Month." The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
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