Black Thoughts

Make black history every day, I don't need a month - Kanye West

With February coming to an end it marks the end of another Black History Month. In what has become more of a faux honorary holiday, it seems like Black History Month has just become routine to many, including many African-Americans. As everyone is aware of the struggles black people have gone through in this country, the question is in 2012 is a month dedicated to black history really necessary?

Stemming from the early days of slavery to as recent as the 1960s African-Americans have been the most oppressed people in the short history of America. After enduring everything from Jim Crow laws to separate but equal policies black people have been through years and years of irreversible damage. With leader such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X paving the way in martyrdom for equal rights it would seem like in the years since their deaths that the African-American people would follow their example and move up the ranks in society. In reality, the truth is black people have remained stagnent. With no real leadership (looking at you Jesse and Al) and misguided priorities, black people have gone ten steps backwards, and by the looks of things it doesn't look like that wil change anytime soon. Instead of building a better community, we find ourselves more intrigued with who's the newest signee of Maybach Music. Instead of sharing with our brothers and sisters you see young people killing each other over overpriced shoes. Instead of uniting together to improve our lives, we have people fighting over the color of the shirt they wear and dying over blocks that have been there before them, and will still be there after them. We care more about appearing rich rather than accumulating real wealth. When we finally have an opportunity to have some representation on a world stage in the form of a black president, we use it as an excuse to sag our pants. With this state of mind true change doesn't seem plausible in the near future.

So as I think to myself all the time if we even deserve a whole month dedicated to history that we don't acknowledge, I still believe Black History Month is a necessary part of the year. I still find it amazing that it took me until my third year of college to learn any type of African-American history besides MLK, Malcolm X, and the "guy who did his thing with peanut butter". It's a vital part of American history, and of the many things I'd change about the public school system is more education focuses on black history. When I went to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan last year I thought to myself that everyone should visit at least one. Then it dawned to me that the majority of people probably wouldn't even know that it's located downtown. Maybe if I could get Big Sean to perform there then people might realize one of the hidden gems located in the heart of Detroit. Black history is American history, and as important as past events are it is equally important to keep making history. My personal hope is that maybe that change Sam Cooke was talking about can finally come, and the African-American community can fully appreciate the amazing feats that those before them accomplished.