Discussing African American History Month
Feb. 1, 2013
Reiland Rabaka
Has African American History Month, or as many people call it, “Black History
Month,” worn out its usefulness as some critics claim?
For example, actor Morgan Freeman told CBS 60 Minutes, "I don't want a
black history month. Black history is American history."
CU-Boulder associate professor of African American Studies, Reiland Rabaka,
agrees African-American history is American history, but he says, until every
American thinks in those terms we need to continue African America History
Month.
CUT 1 “Obviously, African-American history month remains important. The fact
that people can get high school diplomas, the fact that people can get
college degrees, masters, and PhD’s and never take a single course in AfricanAmerican history, I think speaks to the relevance, the continued relevance if
you will, of African-American History Month. (:14) Until every American sees
African-American history, culture, struggle as American history, culture and
struggle, and not something on the side we will, we will definitely need
African-American History month.” (:31)
The roots for African American History Month reach back to 1926 when
historian Carter G. Woodson designated the second week of February to be
"Negro History Week." In 1976 it was officially expanded to a month by the
federal government. Rabaka says Woodson created the holiday with the hope
that it eventually there were be no need for it when black history became
fundamental to American history.
CUT 2 “When Woodson started it, we’re talking about a person with a PhD
from Harvard university in history. By 1976 they expand it into a month
because literally African-Americans have created, made so much history, that
it can’t be contained, obviously, in a week. (:18) All of America is better right
now because of the contributions of African-Americans. And to not know
those contributions it’s actually quite insulting. Because you have people who
talk about slavery or they talk about the slave trade or they talk about Jim
Crow and they cannot go into depth the way they can when we say George
Washington or Thomas Jefferson.” (:35)
As an African-American, Rabaka isn’t disappointed that African-American
history isn’t mainstream. He understands that social movements take time and
inspiration.
CUT 3 “I cannot name for you a single social movement, whether we talk
about the Russian Revolution, the French Revolution, the American Revolution,
Spanish Revolution, you name it, I can’t name for you a single movement that
has achieved every last one of its goals.” (:15)
Rabaka says what gives him hope is how people in the face of adversity
delivered inspiration and created social movements that worked.
CUT 4 “When Patrick Henry says, ‘Give me liberty or give me death,’ he
inspired some people to rise up against some oppressive conditions. Martin
Luther King Junior, when he says, ‘I have a dream,’ he never got a chance to
see Obama in office, he never got a chance to see his children grow up, but
he inspired millions and millions and millions of Americans. (:21)I think that
the architects of American Democracy, I think that when they were writing up
the declaration of independence, I guarantee you there were people saying
this is not realistic - ya’ll can’t do this. Well here we are now ya’ll. We’re doing
it, aren’t we?” (:35)
-CU-