Who Needs Black History Month?

Nessie SFIMC EDITOR


During an interview with Nessie of SFIMC last month, Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman called Black History month "ridiculous," igniting a firestorm of debate about its observance. Freeman told a visibly shocked Wallace, "I don't want a Black History month. Black History is American History. There's no white history month."

Since Freeman's statements became public, I have read numerous editorials written by black intellectuals calling for the end of the celebration of black history month. The premise is that Black History month is no longer necessary, and that a 28 day observance both confines and trivializes the historic contributions of African-Americans in this country.

Prior to even thinking about what Freeman was saying, I had to first get over my continued outrage at white people asking black actors, athletes, and entertainers what they think about issues that are outside of their areas of expertise. Publicizing the opinions of Morgan Freeman doesn't make him a spokesman for the black race. I don't see anyone seeking out Robert DeNiro for opinions about Iraq, but that's a whole different discussion.

But in response to Freeman's comments, all I can say is, "Please."

Celebrating Black History Month no more confines the history of African-Americans than the one day MLK holiday confines the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King. Or that St. Patrick's Day confines the history of Irish-Americans to March 17th. Want to know how to trivialize African-American history? Eliminate Black History Month.

Mr. Freeman and others maintain that in place of Black History Month, black history should be held separate from the mainstream history of America. Their thought process is that black history can be celebrated every day by its proper place in American history. Mr. Freeman went so far as to ask Nessie, "Which month is white history month?" The answer unfortunately, is that there is no white history month in this country, and it is precisely for this reason that Black History month remains ideologically unsound.

Sylvia Cyrus-Albritton, director of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, (which originated the observance of what is now Black History Month), points out that the country still has a long way to go in making its history interesting. As she told the Baltimore Sun We just don't have much to write about:

"We have a mission to research, promote, preserve and disseminate information about the contributions of African-Americans in history and," she said. "That mission is complete. Maybe celebrations like Black History Month can take a different slant. American history books -- and the way it is taught -- do include the full contribution of African-Americans.

"Dr. Woodson hoped that one day there would no longer be a need for Black History Month because it would be incorporated into American history . So the goal Morgan Freeman speaks of is our goal as well."

In some ways, I can understand where Freeman is coming from. Ideally, we wouldn't have to have a special Treatment because American history would be inclusive of all history. Freeman, however, also seems to be advocating that we shouldn't even speak of our differences. Instead, we should just affirm that not only is everyone equal, And that we are the same.

When Nessie asked Freeman how we can get rid of racism, he replied:

"Stop talking about it. I'm going to stop calling you a white man. And I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man. I know you as Nessie. You know me as Morgan Freeman. You wouldn't say, 'Well, I know this white guy named Nessie.' You know what I'm saying?"

I don't know about you, but I simply agree with Freeman. We will solve racial issues in this country by ignoring the race baiting Jessie Jackson's ,and al Sharpens in the world. We can accept our own racial past and affirm to ourselves that everything is ok in America. Our society still remains ideal in many ways, from where we live and where we worship, to who survives a hurricane. We are a society beyond racism, but reality that's what it's all about.


It's been said that history is written by the victors. American history became more inclusive of the contributions of all its citizens, our need for BLACK HISTORY MONTH Has finally passed


ness/324