Before I get into it, here is a quick visual of the history of how Black History Month came to be:
On the one hand, I appreciate the month of celebration of the Black culture and of all the contributions Black people have made, and the history they have developed over the years.
On the other, I feel it is very exclusive and siloed and a passive way to say, if you are Black, this is your one month to show and express it.
When I was in school, during BHM, everything that was Black was celebrated in mass, starting with showing a video clip or two depicting the struggle from the movie Roots, followed by the recap of top inventions made by Black people and current successful “African-Americans” in our country topped off with ethnic food that I was so far removed from because I was born in America.
I experienced this year and year again like it was some Black History Month starter pack for students.
As I’ve gotten older, and since becoming a parent to kids of mixed ethnicity, I find it harder to justify a month dedicated solely to the Black "race".
I feel like I’m telling my kids, okay, this is the Blackest month of the year, so dress, speak and act accordingly. Those who are mixed, focus on the Black half, and those who aren’t, you know what to do. T-minus 28 days, go!
What about the 337 days?
The more I think about it; I wonder if Black history month is more about calling out and giving the reminder that there is a clear distinction between us and the rest of society.
Woodson, the founder of Negro History Week, which later became Black History Month, said:
“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”
But that was stated in a time when Black people were considered very much oppressed by a system that once considered them to be 3/5th of a person and their history wasn’t acknowledged simply because of their skin color. I understand that Woodson was inspired to change that, but what about right now, today? Does Black History Month still mean the same thing?
Is a whole month dedicated to one ethnicity designed to perpetuate racism by highlighting a visual difference, reminding people that there might be a reason to be on the reserve?
Is this month nationally celebrated to acknowledge and pay homage to the injustice that Black people faced and can now experience closure and healing?
Side Note: The celebration of Black History Month doesn't mean this is the month you get to highlight and talk solely about Black disparities, dysfunction, and pain. Celebration by nature means the action of marking one's pleasure at an important event or occasion by engaging in enjoyable, typically social, activity.
Is there a silent message saying this is the month where you can conjure up the ancestors and be as black as you can, but during the other months, you must fit in silently?
I also notice that this month is where some of the blackest images and depictions of the black culture are highlighted.
(My son said his school put up a banner for BHM and it had images of cotton. Seriously, cotton.)
So, does that mean on the other 337 days, you must remove and avoid any stereotypes that society has solidified? Tame your Black hair, adjust your tone to your “white-voice,” and please don’t fixate on how the Black culture and society have broken physical and literal chains and challenges put before them, and you can too?
I appreciate the sentiment; I just don’t know if it’s doing more harm than good.
I guess what I’m saying is, I don’t know if Black History Month can mean the same as it did nearly 100 years ago, given that people are still trying to overcome simple visual biases that come out when a name on a resume looks different, or when a black woman is trying to save someone in need on a plane.
Today, does BHM divide or unite us?
I might be looking at this completely wrong or digging too deep. Every month is Black history month for me, and I celebrate in unison with the other cultures around me that help to make the story improve one step at a time through the humanity that is embedded in us all.
Charisse Fontes is the founder of Culture Circle and an Executive + People Ops Advisor to founders and leadership teams.
more about Culture Circle →first published on linkedin, feb 2020_
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