Black History Month a reflection on lack of diversity
"Hey, why isn't there a White History Month?"
Every year, we get at least a few people acting affronted by the fact that there's an entire four weeks devoted to awareness of the contributions African-Americans have made to society. They ask the above question, feeling slighted that for some reason, white European-Americans don't have their contributions to the world packed into a calendar month.
Never mind that when Carter G. Woodson created the precursor to this celebration 87 years ago, he intended for Negro History Week (as it was called) to be a temporary institution. The real goal, he stressed, was for African-American history to become a part of American history, as it should be.
This is why Black History Month still exists: that kind of inclusion hasn't happened yet.
But it's such a waste of time.
There are some people who think it has its flaws. Actor Morgan Freeman believes it does nothing but marginalize the race, while others in education or social justice believe it shouldn't be called "Black History Month" if there isn't an acknowledgement of blacks outside the United States. But a "waste of time"? Really? Do we consider the other eleven months of history that caters largely to white history a "waste of time," or is it the only history that matters?
America is too diverse a nation to really get away with the kind of whitewashing that happens in history, but it happens. We create months, weeks or days dedicated to minority groups without acknowledging that their stories are intertwined with the stories of the white males we spend so much time learning about in history classes. We give them their own limited time frame, and by doing that, we give those groups a limited view of how much their contributions mean to American history.
This goes for every minority - black, Latino, Asian, female, LGBT and everyone in between. Showing one side of the story isn't enough to provide a well-rounded view of what really happened, and dividing everyone into sections takes away from the bigger picture. And then we wonder why we can't understand or appreciate others who are different from us. It's because we don't learn about them the way we should. We think they're only important for one month out of an entire year.
I know I went through quite a few years of schooling before I learned about what really happened when Columbus landed in 1492 - and that his wasn't the first journey to the "New World" - and that was from outside reading, not school. We talked about slavery and the Civil Rights Movement in class, sure. But it wasn't until college that I got the hint that some of our nation's leaders didn't think of slavery as such a bad thing after all, or that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a crusader for the poor and spoke out against the Vietnam War in the years before his death. Even Black History Month celebrations in school managed to leave those important notes out.
But once I learned these things, I managed to get a clearer picture of what happened in the past to bring us to where we are now. I found history a lot more interesting, too, which is what happens when there's more than one point of view or storyline.
So rest assured, White History Month advocates. If you don't have a month to yourselves, it's not because we all think you're not important enough to deserve one; rather, it's because we simply refer to it as "history." No subtitle needed.
Angelica Rodriguez can be reached by email at rodriguez.record@live.com.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Record News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE RECORD NEWS
- We've Moved to www.buffstaterecord.com!
- Obama divulges new higher education initiative during visit to UB
- Ailing Podolefsky steps down as president
- SUNY appoints Cohen interim president
- President Podolefsky announces leave to fight cancer
- Rappers put Pepsi in a bind
- Congrats to grads: take next step with gratitude
RECENT THE RECORD CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Moving Resources For Military Families
- Historic Agreement Signed By Red Cross and Armed Forces
- Salonpas® Brand Stands the Test of Time
- Tips to “Yard Your Way” This Spring
- Upgraded Upstate Power Grid Will Deliver a Smarter,...
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Youth Apprenticeship Week Spotlights Opportunities
- New Expo Showcases AI Innovation
- Self-Care and Mental Health Tips for Caregivers
- Adventure Awaits: Discover the Playset that Brings...
- Need Auto Glass Repair? Don’t Despair
- Pioneering Fast and Affordable Broadband for the Underserved
- 7 Reasons Renting an RV Should Be On Every Family’s S...
- Don’t Let Diabetes Shortchange Your Golden Years
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Guidenar Launches New Career Test for Gen Z
- GotIt! Education Offers MathGPT Free to All State & Community Colleges
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK