Celebrating Black History Beyond February

As Black History Month 2023 draws to a close, we’re resharing 3 key observations from our interview with PRHSB speaker Dr. Matthew Delmont about taking the celebration of Black History beyond February and why it’s more important than ever. Check out the full interview here.

Dr. Delmont is a Guggenheim Fellow and the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth College. An expert on African-American History, he is the author of Black Quotidian: Everyday History in African American Newspapers?and?Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad.

?1.??????On why Black History Month is crucial to study and celebrate

The stories we tell about the past matter. It is impossible to understand what we have witnessed in America over the last couple of years, or how we navigate the future, without understanding African-American history. The teachers, ministers, and parents who developed Black History Month nearly a century ago did so because they understood that spending time with the stories of the past could help equip them to survive in the present and future…. Over time, Americans of all racial and ethnic backgrounds have come to understand that Black History offers powerful examples of resilience, creativity, strength, and hope.

?2.??????On the power of the choices we make every day

Black History Month is a perfect starting point for understanding that people make history. The civil rights movement, for example, did not happen accidentally, nor was it determined by fate.?Hundreds of thousands of people consciously chose to organize locally, nationally, and globally to advance freedom and democracy for all people….

Inaction is also a choice. Martin Luther King constantly warned people about the “myth of time,” the idea that racism would eventually fade away or die out. This is important for DEI efforts today because it reminds us that moving toward equity or entrenching inequity are about choice.?It is about what people do or don’t do on a daily basis.?If we want to see different outcomes, we have to proactively make different choices.

?3.??????On how companies can embrace the spirit of Black History Month year-round:

Companies are being asked to demonstrate their values through actions, not just words. One way to do this is by weaving the spirit of Black History Month through programing that takes place regularly across the year. If DEI work is truly going to be at the core of an organization, rather than on the margins, you have to make it part of the regular day-to-day life of your organization, not just something you embrace during moments of crisis. And you can’t really do meaningful DEI work without understanding history and how we got where we are today.?Black History can help us get our bearings in these often-troubled times and chart a course to a better future.

Discover more speakers working on and discussing some of the most crucial topics relating to the Black American experience, including identity, inequality, national history, and popular culture here.