Is it time to stop celebrating Black History Month?

When you pick up the Lansing State Journal from your cold porch in mid-Michigan, you are hit by the headline on Black History Month?

Our local paper raises  the question this morning whether the celebration of African American history during February should be eliminated.  Should it just be embedded into the teaching of history?  Have  Black History Month celebrations become tokenized to the point of having minimal meaning?

From a white guy's perspective, I feel its celebration is unfortunately minimized.  Sure, there's the obligatory stories in the paper.  Mayor Virg Bernero will probably issue a proclamation.  The public schools will probably do something and I assume the African American community will have observances.

But during this time of national political discussion about our past, present and future, I see little discussion about the role that African Americans have played in our history, whether on a national, state or local level. 

Many in the Christian Right brag about how great our nation is and how we need to be proud.  Yes . . . to a point. 

As a nation, we need to never forget the role of a group of people whose history needs to be told and retold.

Anybody agree?  Disagree?


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