Black
History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions that African
Americans have made to American society and to the rest of the world. The
two main reasons our accomplishments need to be highlighted and
acknowledged is really simple but most people Black and White seem to miss
the point.
Reason #1:
It helps to
dispel racist attitudes and beliefs.
One of the cornerstones of racism is the belief in
racial superiority. However, the notion of racial superiority can only
exist if you're ignorant about other races, specifically if
you're ignorant about their
contributions to society. A pure racist doesn't want to know or accept
anything about Black history or anybody else's history for that matter. They don't want
anything to shake the foundation of their racist beliefs. However, Black
History Month helps to chip away at those attitudes by
highlighting the contributions of historic Black Americans and
also by spotlighting current Black achievement.
Reason #2: It helps
develop pride and self-esteem.
Images have a profound effect on the
way we see the world and the way we perceive ourselves.
Historically we've all been fed a steady diet of outrageous
stereotypical images on television and in films. Also the major
news media will quickly report any negative aspect of the Black
community. However it is reluctant to report on the many positive things
happening in those same communities. In this day and age, shock
value will win over substance every time.
When did you last see a news story that focused on the topics below:
- the huge and constantly growing Black middle-class
- profiles on Black millionaires
- profiles
on Black owned businesses
- the ever increasing numbers of high-school and college
graduates
- profiles on Black doctors, educators and other professionals
During Black History Month we
focus mainly on historic achievements. It's true that past achievements help to foster pride and
self-esteem. However, we need to focus more on the positive achievements
occurring in our Black communities and around the world today. We need to spotlight the
advances we've made over the years and celebrate how far we've come.
Every Black History Month
should be used as a report card to monitor how far we've advanced from the
year before and it should provide information on things like:
- how many millionaires
- how many middle-class families
- the number of Black-owned businesses
- the buying power of Blacks
- the number of registered voters
- the number of elected officials
- average income and how it compares to the rest of society
-
a list Black owned banks and financial institutions
- a
national Black business directory
- the health of Black Americans and how it compares to others
This is the type information that should be updated every February
and reported by the media (primarily by the Black media) all month long.
The focus on Black "History" is fine but we also need to focus on
the progress we've made and celebrate our successes. We need to
focus on where we're going and not just where we've been.
Kane Kinnebrew III
