Urban Thought Collective

Is it me? Or is this year’s Black History Month programming the thinnest in recent history? I look forward to Black History Month; during February there are usually more documentaries and or movies on HBO and PBS with African-American subjects, there are cultural events and lectures commemorating the contributions of African-Americans and there are even public service announcements on television and radio celebrating the accomplishments of African-Americans. You are reminded of individuals whose names you hear rarely but whose contributions are unparalleled: Madam C.J. Walker, Mary McLeod Bethune, Scott Joplin, Paul Robeson, Matthew Henson.

But this year the acknowledgment of Black History Month has been scant. My local cable television station, in their public service announcement, congratulates President Barack Obama for making history as their only acknowledgment of Black History Month. Really?? As much hope and admiration as I have for President Obama, his election, while momentous and historic, is not the “be all and the end all” of Black History Month. Some commentators are calling for an end to black history month because of the election of an African-American to the highest office in the land. But such statements belie the reasoning behind and the importance of Black History month.

Black History Week was created by Carter G. Woodson in 1926, a very different time when lynching was prevalent and African-Americans couldn’t vote. African-American history has always been intertwined with American history, and Black History Month is 28 days to reflect on that exact concept—the interconnection between American history and the contributions of African-Americans to that history. It is an opportunity to stop and reflect on the role that African-Americans have played in making this country great, just as Women’s History Month in March is an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of women and September, Hispanic Heritage Month, is a time to reflect on the contributions of Hispanics.

Arguments that Black History Month should be retired fail to examine the word “History” in the title. February is a month to acknowledge the contributions that African-Americans have made to history in addition to the current contributions. It is a remembrance of the people and events that helped shaped American history who just happened to be African-American.

I am wary of arguments that maintain that the election of President Obama has changed everything and that certain remedies, institutions and activities are no longer relevant. These arguments seem like a bait and switch because the same arguments in favor of doing away with Black History Month are also being used to argue that Affirmative Action is no longer necessary, to declare that Historically Black Colleges and Universities no longer play a necessary role in society, to argue the Congressional Black Caucus is no longer relevant and to maintain that black student recruitment weekends at colleges and universities should be discontinued. All because we now have a Black President.

It concerns me when the election of President Obama—a great person though a person nonetheless–can be used as the basis to say that African-Americans are “Movin On Up” and that these observances, events and activities should be a thing of the past. This reasoning fails to acknowledge that the approximately 39 million African-Americans in the United States are not all living in the White House with Barack.

This is why the reduction in Black History Month programming concerns me. Black History Month cannot be boiled down to one person and the recognition of February as Black History Month is just as important in 2009 as it was in 2008.

Maybe I am reading too much into this, the decrease in this year’s Black History Month programming could be caused by the economic recession and the limited funds that are available this year. I hope that is the explanation, because Black History Month is still relevant. I know that it is commercialism and pulling at the heart-strings but I really enjoy the Coca-Cola, Target and McDonalds commercials that air during the month of February commemorating Black History month.

Hopefully there will be a better showing next year.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.