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Is Black History Month Still Needed?
by Jennifer C. Thomas, president and founder of MediaReady Consulting
February 24, 2009
E
ach February America recognizes Black History Month. Started by Carter G. Woodson, it's a
time to honor those African American torch bearers who contributed to shaping this great country.
Now there is a growing debate on whether America still needs this recognition. It's an issue
written about in editorials and discussed on news programs and talk shows.
Throughout my two decades in local and national news, I was often the only or one of very few
African American producers who would decide the editorial content and coverage for the newscast;
and so it was I who would lead the charge in directing Black History Month (or BHM) coverage;
whether it was a 30-minute special, series of on-location reports, or daily vignettes and interview
segments, I was always excited to have the opportunity to widen the net of honest, probing
discussions on culture, education, crime and poverty. I was able to profile and feature scholars,
analysts, and artists who might not have otherwise had their voices widely heard simply because the
"mainstream" media wasn't aware. In court, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Unfortunately, it is
often the excuse for not telling certain stories pertaining to African Americans or involving them
as experts during everyday coverage.
I have to agree with one columnist’s rhetorical questions: If less people died of heart
attacks, would we stop having Heart Health Month? Do we suggest eliminating Women's History Month
because we have more women in public office and corporate positions than ever before?
Having the country's first African-American president, Barack Obama has presented a wonderful
new chapter of American history. During his speech on race in Philadelphia, then-candidate Obama
spoke of the complexities of race and how it has been woven into the tapestry of our America’s
history. He noted that it is only by working together that the country can move beyond some of its
old racial wounds and continue on the path of a “more perfect union.” That includes making American
history more inclusive and sharing all of its chapters. James Baldwin poignantly makes the
point in his introductory letter to his nephew in his 1963 book,
The Fire Next Time:
“…But you come from sturdy, peasant stock, men who picked cotton and damned rivers and built
railroads, and, in the teeth of the most terrifying odds, achieved an unassailable and monumental
dignity….” .
African American history is American history; yet too few Americans know the whole story; or
even a fraction of it. Until history, psychology, science and literature publications
incorporate African Americans as part of the great contributors to our society, until American
notables such as Ida B. Wells and Benjamin Banneker are as well-recognized as Benjamin Franklin and
Susan B. Anthony, until Robert Johnson is as much of a household name as Rupert Murdoch, then yes,
America, there is still a need for Black History Month. Still, I am hopeful that as America changes
so will its annals. As former South African President Nelson Mandela once said, “It always
seems impossible until it’s done.”
