Is it me or…Has Black History Month Changed?

When I think of the Month of February, three things come to mind…February being the shortest month of the year, Valentine’s Day and Black History Month.  But I have noticed that in recent years, Black History Month although, getting the recognition as a holiday has lost something, and I can’t quite figure out what it is.

Back In the Day

When I was a little girl, black history month was a big deal. We looked forward to it and planned for it.   In fact, in middle school, I remember we had to fight for the right to decorate the main bulletin board in the hallway outside of the principal’s office with symbols of blackness.  It was an honor to be on the decorating committee.  Nowadays, Black History Month has lost some of the lackluster that it once had.  The information being distributed in the schools, media and acknowledgements from corporate sponsors seem scripted, mundane and repetitious.  Now it seems the celebration of it is more of a politically correct nature rather than fully appreciating black history.  So I began to wonder, am I the only one feeling like this?  In the year 2014, and with all the tremendous strides African-Americans have made through the years….what is making me think differently about Black History Month?

1.       Social Injustice

The recent head scratching judicial verdicts made within our justice system of late has definably changed the way I view justice for all on so many levels.  Young black men cut down before even reaching their prime in life has always been a part of black history.  But with the recent judicial verdicts handed down by our justice system, it seems as if young African-American youths like Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis have become modern day Emmitt Tills and George Stinney Jr’s.  The situation in Valdosta Georgia with Kendrick Johnson (the young black youth whose dead body was found rolled in a gym mat at the local high school) is nonetheless baffling.  Not saying that his death is racially motivated, but why can’t his parent get any answers?  Why were his internal organs burned by the coroner’s office before they were able to get a forensic report?  Why are his parents having so much difficulty finding out what or who cause the death of their child?  It shouldn’t be this hard…I’m just saying.

2.       The State of Black Youths

The mindset of your youths has changed drastically.  With the striving for material gain, content contained on social media and sexually charged lyrics in music and video games it’s no wonder our children see life differently.  I’m not saying these are the main causes to the mindset, but the fact that these things are “in our faces” daily does not help matters either.  And what about our family unit?  True, divorce knows no color, and children are being born daily without benefit of their parents being married, still, this is no reason for parents not to be parents.  Where are the mothers, fathers, grandparent, aunties and uncles to guide and nurture our youth?  It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child, and I believe that to be true.  We have got to get our villages back on one accord!

3.       Why it’s Not a Matter of Economics

Back in the day, we seemed to have done more with less.  Nowadays, it seems that with the material things we have accumulated, we are doing less with more.  Somewhere along the way we brought more and talked less.  Communication is important, without it we become disconnected from each other.  Let’s eat together, talk together, and pray together.  It works; I know that it did in my household growing up.  I had to learn to listen to my daughter.  It took a while but talking to and listening to my mother when my daughter and I was going through rough spots helped me to see where improvement on both our parts were needed.  Remembering what my family (dad and mom) stood and stands for helped us tremendously and for that we are eternally grateful.

 The month of February is a month in which recognition is given to dead presidents, love and a specific cultural group.  Life, family and the passing down of heritage, values and moral to all generations should be happening on a daily basis.  I guess that is it, February is a month in which the richness of African- American history obtains recognition, but day-to-day life and the making of new successes, planting seeds of knowledge and getting back to the basics in our families and communities is the making of black history month 365 days a year.

Peace and blessings,

Phaedra