It’s the end of Black History Month, a time when we celebrate and honor those who fought for the rights of millions of Black and biracial people. These people risked their lives so that today’s Black community won’t have to struggle like they did.
I’ll forever be thankful that these leaders fought for people like me.
However, Black History Month doesn’t just happen to honor these leaders; it also involves educating others about Black history. These parts of history may make some people uncomfortable, but learning the reality of being Black in America matters.
Just days before this year’s Black History Month, the Pentagon agency banned Black History Month in compliance with President Trump’s push against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Trump can try to erase my community’s history, but he won’t succeed. The Black community is strong, and we and our allies will continue to teach our history to future generations of Americans.
Many Black people learn about their history well into adulthood.
For example, I recently learned about a group of Black women, the 6888th Postal Directory Battalion, who worked in England and France during World War II. Their mission, which took place in the European Theater, was to clear a heavy backlog of mail. They worked in harsh conditions — cold, dirty rooms — but the world didn’t fully appreciate their efforts. We should teach children about these parts of history so that they know that Black people make extraordinary contributions to this country. It’s sad that our leaders want to erase stories like this.
But our president can’t erase our history.
Like it or not, the Black community belongs here. We matter. We have stories to tell, lives to live, and history to make.
Those who know Black history will continue to tell our stories. We need to say the names of the people who aren’t recognized, just like we did when we lost George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others to police violence.
Black History Month isn’t a month to ignore; it’s a time to celebrate, find inspiration, and remember those who made history. In order to keep making history, we need to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Will you join us? The choice is yours.
Featured Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash.
The fact that many Black people, including you, level devil heard these stories growing up only reinforces the systemic failing that Black History Month seeks to correct.