I’ve seen macro and micro influencers as well as other folks over the years downplay the importance of having Black History Month. Yes, Black history and achievement should be recognized and celebrated year-round, but how many people are intentional about learning history on their own outside of school? I wonder how many people are actually reading books by Black scholars that are not only on The New York Times Best Sellers List, but those that have been written closer to when some of the key moments in our history happened. These books exist and one of my favorite places to grab them is the library. I am a voracious reader and I make it a point to read those books from way back as well as the contemporary books. I also am intentional about listening to podcasts, subscribing to platforms, listening to Black scholars on panels, webinars and following them on social media to broaden the depth and breadth of my own understanding of Black history. It helps me immensely in the work I do in communications, public relations and community relations. Oftentimes, the gaffes and social media draggings related to race are rooted in racism, but also in people having no concept of what happen before our current generation.
I grew up in a house with a father who remembered the White and colored water fountains in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended a segregated elementary and high school. He remembered how he had to sit in the balcony for his movie experience while White people sat on the first floor. He shared stories with me of his professional work environment and the macro- and microaggressions he endured while serving his government, first in the armed forces and then in one of the law enforcement branches. And my dad is still alive with this history.
History is never that far away. Brown v. Board of Education was in 1954. My mother, who is also still alive, was born that year. The miniseries “Roots” aired on national television in January 1977, the year of my birth. Not only is the miniseries the first to show viewers the impact of enslavement on American society, but it also achieved the highest ratings for a television program. The first program to show the impact of slavery. Again, not that long ago.
Continue reading on the next page.
