Black history month deserves year-round attention
By Paul Breschuk
Features Editor
February 24, 2010
 Morgan Freeman, in a Youtube-famous interview by 60 Minutes’ Mike Wallace in 2005, shocked his fans by describing Black History Month as “ridiculous.” He went on to assert that Black History should not be separate from American History, that it deserves year-round attention.
While the latter half cannot be denied, should Black History Month be called into question on the basis of semantics? How much truth is there in his anti-Black History Month claim, and what are some broader reactions to it?
The first version of Black History Month was founded in 1926 by American historian Carter G. Woodson. His Negro History Week coincided with the February birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two prominent abolitionists.
Other notable February events in American black history include the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909, the assassination of Malcolm X on Feb. 21, 1965, and the passing of the 15th Amendment in 1870, which gave African Americans the right to vote.
Lagging slightly behind was Canada’s 1995 adoption of Black History Month, which sought to promote the legacy of Black Canadians. Being the final destination of the Underground Railroad, Canada certainly has its share of notable figures and events.
The theme of this year’s Black History Month is “Proud of Our History,” commemorating the lives of three famous Black Canadians: William Hall (1821 - 1904), who was the first black person and Canadian sailor to receive the Victoria Cross, Harriet Tubman (1822 -1913), a runaway slave who became instrumental in guiding others along the Underground Railroad, and Mifflin Wistar Gibbs (1823 - 1915), a successful merchant and Victoria City council member.
Locally, the City of Windsor has proclaimed the week of Feb. 21-27, 2010 as “James and Robert Dunn Week” to honour the two first councilors of African descent in Windsor.
This year’s activities include the government sponsored Da Costa Challenge, an annual creative writing and artwork contest encouraging youth to discover the importance of diversity in Canadian history and culture.
Also, Canada Post recently printed a Black History Month stamp of William Hall looking ever the esteemed sailor. Though, amid this seemingly well-intended and joyous affair, there have been some critical voices.
In his 60 Minutes interview, Freeman asked his flustered white interviewer, “You are going to relegate my history to a month? What do you do with yours? Which month is White History Month?”
Other journalists and cultural critics have been raising similar questions, mostly when February rolls around.
If this reaction comes from bored and jaded journalists, perhaps something needs to be done to revamp and revitalize Black History Month. Still, there are many who would rather see the event disappear entirely.
At first, it seems shocking to hear arguments against the education month, given the importance of a history so marginalized. And the obvious reaction would be to turn on one’s racism detector in the wake of such dissent. Though, as far as equality is concerned, it can be safely said that both white and black critics of Black History Month have received similarly mixed reactions.
Shantelle Browning-Morgan, Secretary of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, offers a more nuanced answer than Freeman. Like most who are involved in Black History, she understands that cultural movements develop along a necessary chain of events.
Browning-Morgan, who is also a teacher at Walkerville Collegiate Institute, claims that the month is needed to remedy a lack of representation.
“In order to stop Black History Month, we must first ensure that Black History becomes an integral part of Canadian history and consciousness. When that is accomplished, then there will be no further need for Black History Month. Its very existence speaks to the fact that the contributions of African-Canadians are not acknowledged in our society,” said Browning-Morgan.
Leslie Sanders, an African American and Black Canadian literatures professor at York University, also sees a problem with the false impression Black History Month may suggest.
“The history of the African diaspora, here and elsewhere, should be studied all year around, certainly,” said Sanders. “And the idea that Black History Month is when it is to be studied is very problematic.”
Yet, while Black History Month still exists, what would move educators to teach black history out of season, as it were?
Browning-Morgan points to a new resource, “Roads to Freedom,” to remedy the situation. Developed by the Greater Essex County District School Board, this curriculum-length lesson plan promotes Black History year round.
Rather than just an arbitrary dose of Black History, it is this sort of balanced and cohesive effort that will afford the students with a well-rounded view of Canadian history.
“Many students are under the impression that Black History is all about Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Browning-Morgan. “While they are both pivotal to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and brought about great change, there are also a number of influential Canadians who remain under-recognized and under-appreciated despite their significant contributions.”
It seems that other topics exist beyond the “I have a dream” soundbite. In a recent speech at York University, political activist Angela Davis referenced connections between black history, feminism, Hegelian philosophy, and the Haitian revolution of 1791. Her talk of Black History unraveled a cultural web of association and meaning that is important for the study of past, present, and future.
“Black History Month’s popularity is related very much to the fact that Black History is the history of the struggle for freedom,” said Davis, poignantly describing its universal importance and application.
Perhaps we will one day reach a time when a designated Black History month is unnecessary. It might even be the same time when races no longer need to be talked about, described, or categorized. Although that time seems far away.
Until we reach the utopia, let there be Black History Month.
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