James Baldwin said, “He had no future in the past, because once you leave, you cannot really go back.” The late, great activist was referring to a lifelong detachment from one’s ancestry. However, every year this same detachment manifests itself in a microcosmic image in the form of Black History Month.
Black History Month is portrayed to be the celebration of black history and the appropriate time to express our culture and be proud of our ancestry.
So, for 28 days it is the time for Kofis to be worn, Spike Lee Joints to be watched, It takes a nation of millions to hold me back to be played, and “soul food” to be eaten. For 28 days, this is the time to be black in America.
And I have no problem with the above activities. What I have a problem with is the “the” in them. Instead of this being a time, it seems to be the time. It seems that Black Americans have not only “sold out” but in fact they have “bought back”
My “bought back” theory comes based on the premise that a lot of blacks tend to exert their Afrocentricty only during BHM and rarely any other time. How we love to say our people “sold out” to blend in with white culture. Well, as it is we “buy back” to blend in with black culture.
Now, the problem does not lie within the intensity people have during BHM. The problem lies in the other 11 months of the year, when our culture is seemingly of no use to any of us.
I once heard a black male in the month of October say, “That Black Power stuff isn’t going to get you anywhere.” This same young man is set to give a dedication to the “I have a dream speech” at the end of this month. It is the drastic change of attitude that bothers and even concerns me; and it makes me wonder about the true credibility that this month actually offers.
Carter G. Woodson’s goal for BHM was to “make others see the Negro as a participant rather than as a lay figure in history.” Nowadays it seems like corporate America has taken Woodson’s dream and monopolized it into a marketing ploy (America tends to commercialize everything).
But, at the same time, it seems as if McDonald’s is the only American entity that has gotten it right with their “365 black.” Even if it is just to sell burgers, I would rather be a black man all year selling burgers than a black man for just 28 days eating them.
The true question, as always, is: why? Why is it that we find it acceptable to be in our essence for just 28 days, but the other 11 months out of the year we must keep it bottled up? Why is it that we can’t keep this 28 days of beautiful black culture, economics and reflection going the whole year?
My guess could be as good as yours, but mine is that it is because we live in America and we are still scared of where we live.
I have got a tattoo on my right arm that has the message “Don’t be afraid, Black Power” and, despite how they tend to appear afterwards, the eyes of every white person who has seen it have gotten larger than life. And, while 40 percent of them are open for explanation, the other 60 percent are not and come up with their own conclusions.
For a person who cares heavily about what others think about their self-expression, those numbers would be terrifying, but I am not one of those people. According to my “Understanding Sociology” textbook, it is human nature to look down upon what we do not understand.
And, to be honest, most whites I encounter do not understand black culture. So, in turn, most blacks make the mistake of hiding it from them. Little things like turning on Z107.7 instead of 100.3 The Beat or putting in a Will Smith album instead of Talib Kweli keep whites in the dark about our culture.
The solution is not to hide our culture, but rather to embrace and educate. Even if you find yourself in the predicament I am often in as the “Negro tour guide,” simple questions are better than simple ignorance.
So, do not be afraid to express your self from March to January. You are a African American so act like such, when it is expected and accepted, and also and most importantly when it is not.
Happy Black History Month
Mike Jones II, a freshmen at Quincy University, is the first freshman and African American to be named an editor of its 115-year-old student newspaper.