By Alexis Carr, Editor in chief
OPINION
Black History Month is a month to honor and celebrate the achievements of important and influential figures throughout black history. Throughout the month of February, festivals take place, lessons are taught, and schools organize assemblies. There is even an increase in documentaries and radio programs surrounding the topic of black history. All these unique and amazing celebrations and lessons occur, but there’s an annual controversial question that surrounds this one-month celebration: Why is black history restricted to one month?
This is not the only question that surfaces when Black History Month comes around. Here are some others: Why isn’t black history taught in schools? Is one month enough time to celebrate black history?
We live in a time when many people within the United States are unaware and lack knowledge of the contributions and the accomplishments that African Americans have made to America’s history. Sadly, most people’s view and knowledge of African Americans is misguided through stereotypes that media portray and outdated racist mindsets. African American women are often viewed as twerkers or powerbrokers. African American men are seen as hyper-masculine beings, hip-hop involved, and criminals. People’s knowledge is limited to the information that is taught during the month of February or the rare references in school curriculum such as the accomplishments of Martin Luther King and slavery. But why don’t we dive deeper? For example, the prominent African-American business back in the early 20th century in Greenwood, Tulsa also known as the “Black Wallstreet.” Or Claudette Colvin, a woman who at 15 years old refused to give up her seat to a white person — nine months before Rosa Parks did the very same thing.
Whether you are of African ethnicity or not, it is important to teach and learn about African American history and African American achievements as much as we learn about white history. Even though America claims to be in a “post-segregation” era, restricting black history to one month is just another form of segregation.
As Morgan Freeman once said, “You’re going to relegate my history to a month? What do you do with yours? Which month is white history month?”
Black History Month should not be separate, instead it should be intertwined. Not restricting black history to one month and implementing it into the school curriculum can bring immense benefits. These benefits can range from people being able to understand the important contributions that have been made to the United States by people of color, students being more likely to learn about the lesser known African Americans in history, and students experiencing a more complete view of African American accomplishments. Black history is American history. We should not restrict the history and accomplishments of these important figures to just one month, but instead learn it year round.