Black History Month

By Matt Palu

Popular opinion is seemingly impossible to alter. The highest figurative hurdle in dissuading widely accepted social norms is the initial knee-jerk reaction. A brilliant physicist could publish a 500 page novel disproving the theory of gravity, yet the reader has his or her mind made up after reading the first paragraph. With this in mind, I will work backwards, giving my evidence first, and finish by stating my thesis.

In 1926, what we know today as Black History Month began as Negro History Week in the second week of February. If this seems a bit politically incorrect or even somewhat offensive to you, you must ask yourself if Black History Month will have a similar ring to it in another eighty years.

Black History Month is a national month of observance to notable black people in American History. Everyone knows that February is Black History Month yet no one seems to know why. Historian Carter G. Woodson chose the 2nd week in the month because it marked the birthdays of two men he felt were most instrumental in the lives of African Americans. Those men were Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.

With that being said I feel it appropriate to point out the fact that Black History Month is essentially, partly in honor of a man (Lincoln) who was quoted as saying,

“I am not, nor never have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, or to intermarry with white people…there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I, as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.”

Something this ironic cannot be sincere. And this is a shame because black history should be studied but certainly not in one month. Not often do I put any stock in social or political views of Hollywood stars. Fortunately for me, Morgan Freeman is a Hollywood star that finally decided to make some sense. Freeman has been very outspoken against Black History Month. In a 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace, Freeman echoed my sentiments exactly…or maybe I echo his. He’s quoted as calling black History Month “ridiculous”. He goes on to say, “You’re going to relegate my history to a month? What do you do with yours?”

Freeman then, perhaps unbeknownst to him at the time, uses Occam’s Razor in asking a very simple question. “When is white history month?” This is very interesting because it is comical at face value but can also be viewed from two interesting and contrasting social perspectives.

Usually when one hears of getting rid of Black History Month the argument is very negative and reeks of overt racism. I’m sure you’ve heard this sentiment before, the good old fashion jealous sentiment. “Well if there’s a B.E.T. why isn’t there a W.E.T? And if there’s a Black History Month why isn’t there a White History Month?”

But let’s instead look at the concept of an actual hypothetical White History Month from a different perspective. Think if tomorrow you went to your history class and were informed that March was White History Month, and March was when you were going to study white history. Think of how ridiculous that sounds. Well the premise of Black History Month should sound just as ridiculous.

American History is unfortunately, predominately taught as white history. White history, to subscribers of the Out of Africa theory such as myself, is technically black history. But in the end, it’s all human history. Therefore, let’s do away with this misguided and backhanded practice and fully incorporate black history into American history.