Black History Month 2023. The Good. The Bad. The Reality.

I celebrated my 70th birthday this Month. In 1953, I was born as an American to a loving “Negro” mother and father. This was during the infamous “Jim Crow ” era. Jim Crow laws were a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation. The laws were named after a Black minstrel show character. Black minstrel shows were racially offensive, song-and-dance routines, which stereotyped Blacks and ran from 1958 to 1978.

Yes. I said, “Negro mother and father”. Negro was the original “N-word” without the negative, racial slur. The word “negro” means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese. The standard racial label or term shifted in the U.S. from “colored” to “Negro” around the time I was born and was officially used to classify African Americans by the United States Government. The birth certificate issued to me in a Georgia county in 1953 reads, “Negro boy”.

When I was born, families like mind were called “Negro families” by “other Americans.” This included Americans who were wealthy, those in the middle class and those who were poor. These were Americans who, even in 1953 or 88 years into the Jim Crow era, were not aware of...or chose to ignore, the “reality.”

A “reality” so deeply rooted?in the answers to the following, two questions:

1. How did these dark-skinned “people” get themselves into this unfortunate situation in America? and
2. Why are they so different in social value, as compared to us and our families?

Such a dreadful “situation” and “so different” in fact, that it was easy [or easier] for America, as a nation, to honestly and passionately believe that “these people” should not and never be allowed to be an equal part of mainstream America.

Before I conclude this essay and briefly share with you my perspective of this “Reality,” — [a perspective which has frightened me during Black History Month every year, since I was a young adult, capable of weaving together certain aspects of human Psychology, social structures, and “metathesiophobia” or the?fear of change],?let me first, share my perspectives on, “the Good” and “the Bad” of Black History Month.

“The Good” connected to Black History Month is in abundance.

It spotlights centuries of African American accomplishments, achievement and contributions to the growth of America’s democracy, its tremendous public and private wealth and its diverse, rich, and one-of-a-kind blend of cultures.

The celebration of black history actually began in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be, “Negro History Week.”

In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially designated the month of February as, Black History Month. In his message on the observance, he urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history".

Simply put, “The Bad” connected to Black History Month is the fact that, the celebration is only for one month out of the year.

Just imagine the social impact, if the uplifting commercials, educational programs and national accolades were spread throughout the calendar year. And even better, what if this daily effort included the dissemination of the “unaltered” social histories of not just African Americans, but also White Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and all of the historically unique cultures, which blend to make America what it is today?—?not a utopia, but heads above any other country in the free world.

“The Reality” connected to Black History Month has two distinct sides.

On one side, as most of the approximately 260 million adults living in America today are aware, we dark-skinned “people” did not manage to get ourselves into this unfortunate situation in America without centuries of unfavorable help; and if the African American experience in this country had had a level playing field?— such as,?the same level of generational wealth, years of educational opportunity, degrees of privilege, heights of social barriers, and access to capital, even if just for the last one hundred years —?there would not be a substantial difference in social value between White families and Black families. However, we cannot change history and no one [black or white] should hide from or feel bad about what happened —in the past.?

As once said by Marcus Garvey, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

On the other side, it is a reality that America’s wealth and power is in fewer hands than any time in our country’s history. According to Statista in a 2019 Report, the top 10% of households held 70% of the country’s wealth, while the bottom 50% held 2%.

If the wealthy and powerful feel that a month of Black History is sufficient to maintain the existing state of affairs, and status quote is what they desire — then, the case is closed, for further societal growth, and unity.