Carter G. Woodson,
photo borrowed from http://commentariesonthetimes.wordpress.com/tag/web-dubois
Something I learned a few years back from studying Carter G. Woodson, who is considered the Father of Black History, was that Black history doesn’t just belong to Black Americans. I understood why Woodson dedicated his life to researching the contributions and experiences of Blacks in American history and promoting the inclusion of it in since Black history wasn’t to be found in most history books. But it was an epiphany moment for me when I realized that Black History in America was my history, too! Woodson’s writings show that he believed temporary celebrations of Black History would eventually come to an end because Black history would be fully merged into the study of American history.
I appreciate the efforts to focus on achievements of Black Americans for a month each year, but I wonder if maybe an unintended consequence of Black History Month is creating the illusion that Black history belongs only to Black Americans, that it is still separate, somehow, from the rest of American history. That had happened unintentionally in my mind, so I have no doubt many others have embraced that misguided belief, too, even in the enthusiastic commitment and efforts to observe Black History Month. I saw a segment on TV last night that showed a number of black children that kept saying, "Black history is my history," over and over again. And I thought, we're still missing Woodson's intent!
Last year our school district scheduled a motivational guest speaker for all the employees during one of the inservice days, and the speaker asked, "How many of you know who Carter Woodson is?" Out of 800+ people, my school counselor and I were the only ones who raised our hands, and we just happened to be sitting together. The speaker, who was black, asked our counselor, who was also black, if she had told me the answer, like I wouldn't know that on my own since I was white. Then he asked me to tell him who Carter G. Woodson was. I told him Woodson was known as the Father of Black History. The guest speaker corrected me to say that Woodson was responsible for starting Black History month.
The librarian in me couldn't let that go, so later I wrote him an email and showed him some sources that let him know that Carter G. Woodson was indeed known as the Father of Black History, and that Woodson started "Negro History Week" years ago, which was eventually expanded and the name changed to Black History Month. And I also told him that I would forget people were black if they didn't keep reminding me, and that Black history is also my history, too, so why wouldn't I know something about Carter G. Woodson?
Several years ago a neighbor friend of mine, who's black, got onto me for saying black Monday when referring to something I was dreading coming up on Monday. She told me she wished I would use another term, like I had made a racial slur using the word black that way. I was actually basing it on the term black Tuesday connected with the Stock Market Crash in 1929, but I was so shocked, my mind went blank. Later, I wished I'd had the presence of mind to tell her in a kind manner that she didn't have a monopoly on the word "black," and that we use that word for hundreds of reasons-- not just skin color. Folks, we should all be well beyond this now, but we're not.
Maybe if we stopped segregating black history to one month out of the year, like it's still supposed to be separate from the rest of our country's history, that might be a good start.
Oh, for the day when Americans are categorized by citizenship, character, and contributions to mankind; when colors refer to our flag instead of a label to brandish as a crutch or a bully stick; when our history is one history, undivided, and with liberty and justice for all. - dvc
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