Ask Mike: Black History Month
Hey Guys,
February is Black History Month, a time for Americans to reflect on the cultural contributions African Americans have made to the United States. Some may be wondering how Black History Month became an official celebration. And why is it celebrated in February? Here’s the scoop.
Most history experts give credit to Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). Woodson is commonly referred to as the father of black history. Carter led a challenging but amazing life. At the age of 19, he entered high school and completed his studies in two years. He then studied Greek and Latin, while working in a mine shaft. Eventually, he went to the University of Chicago, and finally got his PhD from Harvard University.
But what does that have to do with Black History Month? After founding the Journal of Negro History, Woodson was instrumental (read: it wouldn’t have happened without him) in organizing “Negro History Week.” Woodson chose a week in February as a way to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery, and Frederick Douglass, the iconic civil rights activist.
Negro History Week became Black History Month during the 1960s. “No other single thing,” Woodson said, “has done so much to dramatize the achievement of persons of African blood.” According to AppalachianHistory.net, Woodson often remarked that “he hoped the time would come when Negro History Week would be unnecessary; when all Americans would willingly recognize the contributions of black Americans as a legitimate and integral part of the history of this country.”
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Cool.
When is ‘White History Month”?
Sadly, those most unaffected by racism are quick to post the most insensitive remarks about something that the targets of racism are not responsible for.
At the same time, we are not taught in school that racism was practiced and maintained for the benefit of “White Privilege.”
In fact, after the Civil War, the Lincoln Administration was told by the former Swiss Naturalist, John Aggasi
to “Give them (the ex-slaves) their Freedoms slowly as not to disrupt the balance of White Privilege.”
Add oddly enough (or not), the descendents of ex-slaves did not receive their full Civil Rights until a century later during 1964-65.
“Many second and third generation immigrants talk about the trials and tribulations that their parents and Grandparents had to endure, and rightfully so!
Yet none of their ancestors were shipped to America, chained like animals, though guilty of no crime.
There was no Statue of Liberty to welcome the enslaved.
The only group of immigrants to be called ‘White Naggaz’ were the Irish. And ultimately, they were assimulated into Society, because at the end of the day, they were still ‘White.’
Black History is American History, and should not be celebrated as seperate and apart from American History as if some kind of an anomally.”
Reserve your copy of “Message To A Dead/Man”
by Turner Page (Third World Press)
“white history month” is every other month including february
When is Everybody Elses Month?
I think that it is no longer necessary. I learn about black history all during the school year. I think our society no longer ignores their achievements, but instead, singles them out. I think Dr. Woodson would agree that black history month is rather pointless now.
Good question Sophie. Who’s racist nowadays?
Umm Sophie?? When was the last time white people had defend themselves specifically because of the fact that they were white in America. If there is then I definitely believe there should be a white history month.
Any bets on how long it’ll be before the Republicans ban it?
asian history month?
Every month is white folks month. Why can’t ya’ll STAND the fact that there’s a month named for us? Not to mention we get the shortest month in the whole year. I’m not racist but I represent being black to the fullest, not ashamed of it, and If black people weren’t ment to be on earth then why are we here? We’re here and we’re here to stay! Black power!
When is Irish history month? We were slaves in history too.
This is just plain stupid. It seems like a small group of advocates of this kind of “celebrations” are interested in perpetuating the discrimination because if they don’t get patronized they’d need to face the consequences of being equal to other races, sharing not only rights but also RESPONSIBILITIES and ACCOUNTABILITIES of the things one does or does not. It’s called ‘maturity’
Why should there be a white history month? We celebrate white history everyday of the week. We celebrate their beauty through the media, their brains through the news, how they are supposedly so superior and how every other race is inferior to them. We need a Black History month, a Hispanic Heritage month, a Native American month, an Asian month and so on. I can not think of a day in which whites were not praised for something that everyone else can do. I am not complaining or trying to be ignorant, I am just telling the truth. Everyone wants to be white, but the moment people try to be what they really are or even celebrate it we are bashed and talked about for taking pride in who we are. Why can’t Blacks, or Hispanics, or Asians, or Native Americans take pride in their history but whites could talk about how great their history is everyday.
Black History month goes against equality, it totally goes against Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech. There is no White, Asian, etc. history months. It’s outdated and unsupportive of equality and should be removed.
And, no every month is not White peoples month, that’s statement is ridiculous.
My birthday is in the black week, i support african americans, although I’m caucasian
Actually I plan to go to the California African American Museum this weekend in Los Angeles. My spouse is a so-called black, I a so-called white, and our kid likes to go to this monthly event. This month is African American History Month.
The events are dominated by people in the entertainment industry. The music is so loud I need to move far away even though I have hearing problems. But that is how it is when you deal with professional musicians. They or the folks operating the sound system tend to lose hearing sooner than others due to the noise level in their line of work and do not notice that their music is so loud (i.e., they cannot hear a lot of it).
Unforutnately at least once some cult group attempting to recruit naive people into their “lost tribe of Isreal” cult to go live in Isreal, possibly on occupied lands. Black nationalism and race religion are alive and well. At least one entertainer was a rude paranoid who commented, “They like your music but they don’t like you.” (Actually I am not fond of loud music at all. And I certainly would not like to know someone who attempts to spread paranoid hatred by defaming people he does not even know.)
It is too bad that people acquire so little knowledge of world history as to not understand human culture in general. Stupid events like the ones described above are based on ignorance and delusion. Those who only want to know a tiny bit to reinforce what they believe would do well to learn more about the rest of the world, too. (See “History of the World” by J. M. Roberts.) Racism and nationalism span the globe and have throughout history. And like it or not, slavery was not invented first by white Europeans.
How about white history month? We were slaves too.
why do we need a black history month it sends the wrong message that you should focus on your race it is totatlly agianst Martin Luther King’s dream if people feel that blacks that needed to be recgonized in history that we don’r recognize why not just teach about them alongside other history lessons
@sophie
everyday
my birthday is in feb
I think you’re all missing the point. You’re complaining that having Black History Month is racist; Woodson never intended for it to be so commercialized and criticized.
According to AppalachianHistory.net, Woodson often remarked that “he hoped the time would come when Negro History Week would be unnecessary; when all Americans would willingly recognize the contributions of black Americans as a legitimate and integral part of the history of this country.”
He only wanted it in the first place to educate those who needed it, not to separate blacks from whites with their own “holiday.” If you understood Woodson’s original intentions, maybe you wouldn’t feel so negative about it. You’re right in saying that we no longer need it, but in the time it was created, we did. In the past, Blacks needed to be recognized as an important part of American history. Now that they are, education can teach history as a whole, from every point of view, whether it’s Eastern Europeans, Irish, Japanese, Chinese, Germans, or any other race that has suffered in American history.
Loving Black History Month !!!!!!
I’ m so glad for people like Dr. Woodson sho created a month not only a day that our culture can be recognized. Who was born in the 1800″s and who still went on to prusue a Doctorate. I am so glad for our ancestory’s who completed the journey ahead for all minorities.
My walk in this lifetime will not be in vain to God or my ancestory’s after I complete my B.S. in Psychology I will further continue my education. Being the 2nd black woman in my family to graduatue from college out of several generations of black women who did not seize the opportunity. I will take full advantage of this opportunity today to do what couldn’t or just wasn’t able to accomplish then.
I will love life and make good of every opportunity that comes my way.
Please for give the my typing errors in the paragraph above. I was typing and I guess you can not go back and correct any errors on this yahoo comments page.
Hi, i have always loved black people and wished i could be hark, but then it is silly people that bully them that makes me want to be black even more, then i could show them my piece of mind.
Tamara xx
You have to ignore race to abolish racism.
during black history, I remember hearing about all the things blacks(AfrAms) claim to have invented, but later finding out that most of the claims were false. One thing they did invent though that I find horribly ironic, happens to be Slavery itself. Although the word slavery has it’s root in my own Slavic heritage, too bad that wasn’t taught in my school.
So they are to blame for their own misfortune?! That might be called poetic justice if it wasn’t so tragic.
This celebration is more like Racism resurrection month, where we dig up the horrible past and point the finger of blame at the white man for bringing slaves to america, please go back a bit further in black history so that this year you point that finger at yourselves.
And to call Dr. Carter G. Woodson a hero of any kind is a gaffe. Forcing people to annually recall hurtful times, is torture and inhumane.
You are saying because of the color of their skin they deserve special attention, THAT is racism.
A Liberal would loudly deny these facts a Conservative would revel in it. Both equally wrong.
Please Highlight this point during “Black History Month”:
The Martin Luther King Statue, they didn’t use “African-American” Sculpters to make a monument of their hero, they got cheap Chinese labor to do it for them!(that’s economic slavery)
Totally ignoring the debate going on, why are Y!A claiming that this only applies to Americans? Black History Month exists in the UK too, possibly other places.
Personally I think we should just have an ‘Everybody’s History Month’ and be done with it. It’s racial discrimination against non-blacks. As a white guy I feel like I am ‘supposed’ to feel guilty for things that other people did, which is total horseshit. As far as I’m aware I’ve never been a racist, yet by expressing this view people assume I am one. Oh and for the record when looking up family history I found out that one of my ancestors was a slave.
i feel special cuss im half black hehe
wow its amazein u took the time to educare urself about something so imprtant thts pretty cool man
What a strange sort equality where black history is celebrated but not white history, chinese history, japanese history, polish history or anyone else’s history
THANKS, Mike, for the post. I always find your posts interesting.
We “celebrate white” people every day by applauding there accomplishments through media? Some may not notice but we do the same with Blacks, Asians, Hispanics and so on. We are well aware of EVERYONE everyday, we shouldn’t have to be reminded about the history of the African American race for one month annually.
We are singling out a specific month for a specific race as if there gentilitian is some kind of disease. Its almost like breast cancer awareness month!
Equality people, it goes both ways in every shape color and form.
I believe we don’t need this discriminating, unequal month any more. I hope you understood what I was attempting to convey to you, Thanks!
White history month is every month, all we learn about in school is white history. White history is everywhere. The question ‘when is white history month?’ is a question of extreme ignorance. White people never suffered what black people suffered.
So basically, a man that lived last century invented black history.
‘White privilege’ is nonsense, since the country was built by whites and intended for whites. Nowadays, blacks and everyone else are given privilege over the descendants of those who actually built the country. Picking cotton doesn’t count. African slavery was a short-sighted mistake, since it only helped in the deconstruction of American identity, reducing it to holding American citizenship.
when blacks take pride in their race, it’s equality. but when whites do, its racism! thats how people see it!
White history month? are you kidding me? There’s no “white history month” because no one tried to get rid of their history. if you ask an African American where their ancestors are from, the most that they can probably tell you is what state they were bought in. Pretty much everything before that is completely erased.It would be awesome to know what tribe my family came from but I’ll never know that because some lazy English people took them and erased their history and culture from the face of the earth all because of some “Manifest Destiny”
I agree wit sophie
black history month is american history.
see blacks have this notion that they’ve been the only ones affected by slavery. open up a book you ignorant sons of bitches. polaks, russians, irish, jews, almost EVERYONE was a slave at one point or another. why should we treat you any different ?
I believe in equality, if you get in my face spewing this bullshit i’ll tell you off just as i would anyone else.
Extremely good post. I actually just happened at your current blog plus wanted expressing we need very loved studying your own web page posts.
It is a shame how all we learn about is Americans and Europeans in school. I could ask my clasmates who Phyllis Wheatley is and they won’t know. What about Willie May, Huey P. Newton, Whitney Moore Younge Jr., Tommie Smith, Dr. Patricia. E. Bath, James Van Der Zee, Zora Neale Hurston, or
Alice Walker. Yet we know so many white authors, entertainers and educationalists.
When is Cherokee history month? My people were just slaughtered.
They would have loved to have been slaves instead.
I think every race should have a month. Besides white people. I mean honestly, if you think of it most of the minorities built this country up anyway.
Why do people have to bring up other months like Asian, White, Indian? This was not the point of this artical. He was just telling us how it came to be. Ingorant people would bring racism into the conversation isntead of just getting alittle bit of knockledge and moving on with your lives.
I think more white Americans are aware of Black History Month and can tell you more about it then black Americans.
I respect the remarks printed from each writer, but as a teacher, and a recipient of the Civil Rights struggle, I am in full support of celebration of all cultures that live in this country however, if we are to recognize ‘why’ Black History Month is even necessary, we have to go back into the history which White America left us out. As a little girl growing up in Bessemer, Alabama, the fact of White America was very apparent to me. I was aware of laws that existed only to blacks (Jim Crow), but were actively enforced – even to the point of death by hanging! Can you imagine trying to teach a young black boy or girl to be proud of themselves when all around them spoke vollumns of differences. I grew up having to ride the back of the bus. I grew up having to know what clothing size, and shoe size I wore because I could not ‘change’ in the ‘white’ dressing rooms. I grew up having to use the bathroom in the back alleyways of the ‘white stores’ because there were no bathrooms, or if there were, you had better know how to read the “white only” and “colored only signs”. I grew up in public schools where we waited year after year for the ‘white people’ to tear up their textbooks and write hateful words in them, knowing that they would be sent to the ‘colored schools’. I grew up knowing very little about the accomplishments of my people because most of that ‘history’ was purposely left out of the history books. I remember when Jet and Ebony, black magazines were delivered in our mail. I was shocked to learn of so much progress and value and worth that black people had accomplished. I was certainly not given this information to help propel me into hopes and dreams of a future. It was onlyl through the stories told at our dining room table during meals that I learned about my people. I walked for justice. I witnessed the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Al. I was in the Girl scout troop of ond of those girls. I know what it is like to have a cross burned on your front lawn and told that you will never build a new house in this neighborhood. Everyday of my life, I am making history. History does not just happen around me. Don’t you think its strange that black people know more about the ways and means, culture, and habits of white people than the opposite? It is because all our lives we have been made to feel inferior, not a part of this culture and freedom when in fact, we have been the front and center of taking this nation into enlightenment. Until all nations, all creeds and all cultures are duly recognized, supported, and loved as brothers and sisters, months, and days such as Black History – recognizing the accomplishments of black people everywhere, past, present, and future, so that not only black children can relate, but white people as well. Perhaps one day, there will be no need to celebrate the plethora of cultures, but respectfully appreciate all peoples. Until then, whatever chance we need to open blinded eyes, restore hearing to deaf ears, and learn to appreciate the history and discovery of all individuals, then BLACK HISTORY month must continue.
For the commenters who do not know, other racial groups besides blacks have a month set aside. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is celebrated in May. National Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15 to October 15. Just like Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October or Kidney Month and Women’s Month in March, these holidays are created to bring awareness. Just because white (or Caucasians if you prefer) people do not have a month set aside does not mean they are any less valued. We celebrate BHM, NHM, and APAHM to bring a positive light to the heritage and culture to historically suppressed groups. It is also to celebrate the achievements and contributions these minority groups have made to shape the United States of America.
I already knew how many racist comments were going to be on here. As an African American, I won’t care if there was a Black History Month or not. I’m proud to be black every single day, now I need one month (the shortest one to be exact) to say how I feel on my race? No. African Americans fought for what they have. A White History month won’t make since because technically, your European. “White” isn’t a race. And you shouldnt feel that having a month automatically gives you every right to be proud of what you are. Hey, if you love being “white”, good for you. You don’t need a month to be proud of what you are. OH, and by the way Nation Hispanic Heritage Month is Sep. 15 – Oct.15 and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is in May, so black people aren’t the only ones!
well i have to do an essay on should black be celebrated for a month or they should be recognized
Black History Month, is reconized to most as our heritage. All races have to express their “own DNA.
It has been our history that “white people have ruled north america. Not having knowledge of being exployed and no unity of some kind of power, only left the “free; to persue what is now known as freedom. The problem with “now, is that it those who are first”, will benfit. Once the wheel became effective” nothing else mattered. Black History is a rememberance of “whom was here first. Now “first, has to take a back seat to “second, third and fourth. The one hundred, mark for the old “and the last of their dinasoars are dieing or near dead or dead. “First, is no longer first. The car” is just like the wheel. You can not reinvent the wheel.Black History Month means to me a ” future for those who wish to challenge the good against evil. The right for humanity to live. However we as a people must remember as Black Americans” we are no longer the minorty. Each race of color” has its own “name calling and stupiditys. Speaking out of turn, before “thinking. The hardess part of “any month”; is getting to the next. Black History month reminds me that whatever I am doing to live”, I am not doing it alone. As far as I am concerned, every month is Black History Month, for me”. And, everyone else my color or mix. On the other hand Dr. Martin Luther King was right and has been right all along, His dream has come true when the “lion has laid down with the lamb. Freedom hold no restrictions. There are those who “want to “take your freedom. Only the freedom written on paper. “People are always free. Please keep this one thing in mind: There are some who “know, education” is dangerous. Learning, reading, writing, understanding, comprehention and belif”, scares some people. Especially, when they can only see the surface of your skin. I truly respect black history month and in a way rememberance of the “fear, follows the thinking. Today and any day we as a people can not act out, our rage of truth. When we do we go straight to jail. Do not pass go and you do not collect the 200 dollars. Understanding “how to act when you feel out of place but must be there. Black History Month is not all about black people and their events. Its the “Knowledge, that has passed through the months single days, and the effect it will have while you live. If you want something to think about, “who, is next month. Even though black history has a lot of soar spots, I am very glad for black history ans “Black History Month. Never stop knowing.
So if there is a black history month, we really should have a white history month or why not a Jewish history month or even a Asian history month.
Having a black history month is preferential to only one race and in itself is racist. I have problem racism and it in ANY form offends me.
I hate when white people say what about white history month! Let me tell u somethin, all u see on tv is white people! Thats all u see! Yall have St Patricks Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Halloween and oh lets not forget The Fourth of July! Heck black people get the shortest month out of all of these white holidays. So for yall white people to say what about white history month, you need to shut the hell up with that. It really pisses me off to see these kind of post on hereand Im black! . But guess what though, at least black people arent the most hated race in the world by many different races!
Black, white, yellow, red, and every other colour can be celebrated year-long. Forget this silly thing that some strange American thought up.
Mariah, St Patricks Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Halloween and The Fourth of July are in no way exclusively white festivals. These are celebrated by americans of any race/colour if they have irish ancestry, have family members who have fought in wars, or just for the fun of it, etc.
I think it would be the most respectful thing to ‘the black community’ (if such a homogenous, overarching group really exists), to get rid of black history month, to allow the wounds of our ancestors to heal over. No-one left alive today is responsible for the atrocities committed in the past slave days. And yes, it wasn’t just africans who were enslaved. At some point, pretty much every race, every country, every creed has been enslaved- that’s what happens when your land gets invaded by a superior force!
The best thing black people can do today to combat the remnants of racism is educate themselves to the highest degree so they can truly be said to be superior to their ignorant detractors. But judging ffrom the comments (and spelling) of the pro-BHM posts here, this isn’t always happening. Hence ignorance, on both dies of the debate, muddies the waters.
People who say that it’s racist to not have a White History Month are missing what racism is (and the context). You have a ‘month’ for you, it’s called American History, and you have it 11 months of the year.
Teaching what white people have achieved in America isn’t necessary, because that’s shown throughout society. There’s plenty representation of white people for there not to be a White History Month. So you know this racism is institutional, most American institutions work against the progress of black people and in favour of white people. Black people aren’t properly represented for Black History Month to be unnecessary.
I do hope we discard Black History Month, and have it fully integrated with just ‘American History’. But for now it’s very important. Those who say we should get rid of Black History Month are doing an injustice to our recent past. When you try and look away from your past, it often repeats itself.
very very nice.