Black history is American history that should not be limited to the shortest month of the year.

Just 28 days of historical facts that makes black and brown people proud of their history. Just 28 days that remind African Americans of how resilient African Americans were while fighting for their freedom. Just 28 days of history that is unfortunately forgotten once March comes. 

Black history should not be compressed into a month because of all that African-Americans faced and are still facing is everyday history. The sad thing is that people believe we should be proud to have a month that is dedicated to black history, when it is another opportunity for people to make a mockery of our history. 

“Racism is taught. And when white history is the standard, when history is told from the point of view of white people, you might as well believe, as failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore does, that slavery was good for black people,” according to TheRoot.com. We, as African-Americans have to understand that if our history is not celebrated and told from our perspective, it would never be told and that is the problem.

Black History Month also known as Negro History Month was originated in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson who had hopes that African-Americans would be proud of their history and that America would be in full acceptance of our history. Fast forwarding to 2018, it is clear that America doesn’t accept the positive influences of African-American people because every chance the Trump administration and supporters of its administration gets, they choose to ignore the effects of racism. The Charlottesville riot is a perfect example of ignoring the effects of racism by allowing white supremacists beat on people of color and acknowledging them as fine people.

It is seen as dangerous for black history to be compressed into a month because the history will then be forgotten for the rest of the year. “Ask your child, colleague or friend to say a few brief words about Woodson, sing the first few line of “the black national anthem” or identify five African countries during the rest of the months,” according to TheRoot.com. What we learn during the month of February should be what we learn for the entire year but in order for that to happen, we have to acknowledge that black history is American history. 

Woodson’s hope for African-Americans being proud of their history has come to fruition but what hasn’t is the national acceptance that black history and black people are just as important as any other history and people.

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