Letter: Black History Month Op-Ed
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To the Editor:
February is the shortest month of the year, and yet, it is the month that we assign one of the year's most important celebrations. While some think that Black History Month is a time to learn about racism and slavery, in reality it is much more: It is a time to recognize the contributions of Black and brown people to our society.
According to an article published by Zinn Education Project, the creator of Black History Week, Carter G. Woodson, "believed that Black history was too important to America and the world to be crammed into a limited time frame."
In restricting the celebration of Black history to one month, we are sending a message to American teachers that one month is enough to educate the American youth about the rich diversity and impact of Black history.
Let's first consider the fact that Black history spans a wide variety of topics. Most teachers limit their discussions of Black history to slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, spending only about 9 percent of class time throughout the year on it. I am in no way denying the importance of these topics, however, I believe that there are so many others worth teaching. Things like the Harlem Renaissance, and the many achievements of Black and brown Americans in different fields are largely being neglected in classrooms.
It is my sincere hope that sometime in the future we see Black history get ingrained into the curriculum throughout the year. As I mentioned in the introduction, the creator of Black History Week believed that it deserved to be expanded. In fact, he himself imagined a Black History Year as the evolution of his original concept.
If Woodson believed this back in the early 1900s, then we, in our modern day society, should be able to realize his vision. Learning about Black history year-round can not only help students better understand it, but also can help build a more unified, inclusive community.
Lastly, it is key that we recognize that Black history IS American history. America was literally built on the back of centuries worth of slavery. And on top of that, Black and brown people have done everything from helping America win the space race, to inventing the traffic signal, and performing the first ever successful open heart surgery! With so many incredible contributions, there is no reason why Black history should not be taught as American history. There is no point in making the differentiation, other than to divide.
In conclusion, schools should not limit their discussions of Black history to only one month. With the wide array of topics to talk about, the benefits that would come with lessons on it over the whole year, and the fact that Black history is American history, too, I see no reason for these confinements. I may only be 14 years old, but I hope that you listen to me when I say that the world would be so much better if we made every year Black History Year.
Quinlan Nesbit
North Adams, Mass.
Quinlan is in Grade 8 at Berkshire Arts & Technology Public Charter School
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