Black History Month
Aniko expresses the importance and history behind Black History Month in this editorial.
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Black History Month
Black History Month
By Aniko LaFrance-Hernadez
By Aniko LaFrance-Hernadez
For readers who are unaware, February is Black History Month. This month gives Americans the opportunity to explore our nation's history upon subjects that have, sadly, been neglected. It is important to acknowledge our nation's past in order to identify what we can do to improve our future. While I myself am not a person of color, I hope this article opens people’s minds on why this month is so important to recognize.
The Black History Month celebration is possible because of the National Association for the People of Color Foundation in 1909, which introduced “Negro History Week” in 1926. It was proclaimed then, by the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, that the second week of February would be seen as Negro History Week.
Years later, in 1969, black students and educators at Kent State University had promoted the idea for Black History Month. Then, around six years later, it was being celebrated across the country and was no longer exclusive to just communities and schools.
In 1976, former US President, Gerald Ford, announced that people should take the chance and “seize the opportunity” to honor accomplishments of Black Americans through history. While this statement led to controversy for the President, it gave Black History Month the publicity and momentum to grow.
Here are some ways to honor this month!
Here are some ways to honor this month!
Read and read and READ. I always like to find different books that can educate me in some way so that I am able to better understand other people in our world. If you enjoy reading, there are plenty of books out there (fiction and nonfiction).
Visit Museums. Go and see some first-hand collectives of accomplishments people of color have made throughout history!
Watch Videos. There are plenty of informational videos regarding Black History Month, it's history, and it's impacts. A good channel on YouTube is Crash Course; they have an entire playlist dedicated to Black History. TED Talks are also great ways of educating yourself! “The Dangers of Whitewashing Black History” is just one of countless TED Talks to start your journey with.
People To Recognize
People To Recognize
Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was born in 1925. He was African-American, as well as Muslim. According to PBS, as a child, he was put in many foster homes, which later led him to participate in many illicit activities, granting him ten years in prison (1946). In prison, he was able to join the Nation of Islam, becoming one of the most influential leaders. He was a controversial figure who would disagree with Martin Luther King’s ways of nonviolence and racial integration. He believed that people of color were the original people of the world, that the demise of the white race is imminent, and all white people are “devils.” He didn’t like the idea of black people voting into white politics. Malcolm X was widely celebrated among the Muslim American communities and was named an assistant minister after his parole in 1953. He was able to establish temples which is where he would recruit people.
Malcolm X was not well-known until the Hinton Johnson incident. Police officers were beating a group of people, who were of color which led to Johnson shouting for them to stop. Then, in the process, he was beaten, and he needed serious medical attention. Malcolm heard and demanded to see Johnson at the police station, rallying approximately 500 people to help him do so. He attempted to bail Johnson out, but was unsuccessful. He then gestured for his followers to disperse, and they did.
After the Hinton Johnson incident, Malcolm was put under surveillance by the police. He traveled amongst different countries, then came back to the US, only to speak at many meetings in universities and take every opportunity to talk to college students about his activism. In 1965, Malcolm was sure Islam was trying to murder him. Then, at one of his rallies a few days afterward, he was shot by three different people, obtaining 21 gunshot wounds to the chest. While some may not have seen eye-to-eye with him, he was important to his followers and could have continued to make a difference.
Big Mama Thornton
Big Mama Thornton
Willie Mae Thornton was born around the rural area of Montgomery or Dale County, and she was a Blues singer in the 40’s and 80’s. A sister and a hard worker, she had four siblings total. With her father as a minister and her mother a church choir singer, she naturally picked up the drums and harmonica. Sadly, when she was 14, her mother passed, leaving her to begin work at an early age. She is most known for her song “Hound Dog”, which Elvis Presley later covered and made more popular with his voice. She earned $500 from that song and sold two million copies. She also wrote the song “Ball and Chain”, which Janis Joplin made famous.
In 1941, she began her singing career in The Hot Harlem Revue. Then, in ‘48, she left them to live in Texas as a Blues artist. There, she worked with two producers and signed a 5-year contract with them. Her open lesbianism caused some trouble with one of her producers, but he helped her with her first recordings anyway. She passed away in 1984 from a heart attack, buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery.
We don’t know much about Big Mama Thornton because her music was outshone by other musicians of the time and being a woman of color made her more invisible to the community. In 2020, she was finally put into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. She sang with soul and purpose-- so I’m taking the time to recognize her and share a bit of her story.
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is a more modern example of a woman of color who is making music that is not very well-known. A four-time Grammy Award winner, she was born in 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. Tracy sings music that has more of a folk, blues, rock-pop vibe to it. She started out in a college drum ensemble in 1986 and proceeded to record, “For My Lover” for a local paper called Fast Folk Musical Magazine. From then on, she searched for producers, who all turned her down. That is, all except for David Kershenbaum. One of her largest hit songs, “Fast Car” in 1988, hit the charts in the UK at #5 and the US at #6. What’s less-known is that, in 1990, Tracy made it possible for three winners of Crossroads in Black History (a high-school essay contest and education program initiated by Tracy) to all receive scholarships. Her last appearance was during 2020 on the Late Night Show with Seth Meyer.
Chapman wanted to encourage people to vote during the US elections. She is still alive to this day. She lives her life as an open lesbian and keeps most of her life private, not recording any new music.
George Bridgetower
George Bridgetower
Bridgetower was a man who was far lesser-known as a person of color who did important or interesting actions within history. Bridgetower was a classical violinist in the 18th and 19th centuries. He was born in February of 1780 and, as a child, served the Prince of Hungary; the castle had an opera house and a private orchestra, which served his musical interests.
Later on in his life, around 1803, he encountered Beethoven. They began to play music together and, with Bridgetower’s encouragement, they agreed to compose a violin sonata together. After their first show, Beethoven decided to dedicate this piece to his friend. Bridgetower and Beethoven soon had a falling out after one snarky remark Bridgetower made about a woman Beethoven fancied. Additionally, Bridgetower was simply drinking too much. Beethoven decided to instead dedicate the piece to Virtusuo, a remarkable violinist during that time, then named it the “Kreutezer Sonata” after sending it to Rudolphe Kreutezer, who now bears the name of the piece. According to Classic FM, Bridgetower had tried to convince Beethoven to change his mind, but their relationship was never mended. Bridgetower, meanwhile, died in poverty-- unknown and alone-- and was buried in the Kensal Green cemetery of London.
Recognizing White Privilege
Recognizing White Privilege
White Privilege by Paula S. Rothenberg.
White Privilege by Paula S. Rothenberg.
Editors: Erik Gilg & Sarah Berger
Designers: Barbara Reingold & Kevin Kall
Project Editor: Dana Kasowitz
Production Manager: Barbara Seixas
Permissions Manager: Katrina Washington
Reading the book White Privilege has taught me a lot about my white privilege. This book touches on the perspective of what can be seen if we open our minds regarding privilege. Though my ethnicities are widespread-- Mexican, Native American, and Hungarian-- my skin is still the shade of white, therefore giving me privileges in society. Regardless of your ethnicity, you may still be racially judged by the color of your skin. Many people may not recognize it, but there is privilege in having white skin.
People who have dark skin are often looked down upon in society for being ‘different.’ Subconsciously, when many people talk about others, especially if these people are of color, they will point out their appearances. People may say, “Oh, there’s a black person with the same shirt as me” or they may even say the words, “Oh, my black friend..." This is another way of using a person's ethnicity to separate them from the 'average person'.
What many do not take away from this experience is that people of color are just that--people.
White Privilege shows that society judges people by the attributes of their bodies. The book tells how looks tend to play into whether or not people gave good income and even how many people own property or a home. Rothenberg states that, while “white home-ownership has jumped from 65 percent to 75 percent since 1970, black home-ownership has only risen from 42 percent to 48 percent...it would take, 1,664 years to close the gap, after fifty-five generations." This seems just plain awful. I had no idea how bad it was for people of color economically, nor when it comes to being able to own a home for yourself or your family. All throughout history, some White people have used this attitude to excuse someone of an offer. It is quite inappropriate and offensive to do this. It is upsetting to think about and, honestly, absurd. It seems that society will always find reasons to judge people of color. Going forward, think about what you say or how what is going on in front of you may harm people of color.
Other Works By The Author:
“Race, Class, and Gender in the United States”
“What's The Problem? A Brief Guide To Thinking Critically"
Remember…..
Society needs to recognize White privilege, especially during Black History Month. It is important to remember how other people feel when it comes to simply being alive in this world and how we tend to treat them. Whether it is because of habit or how we were raised, it is always good to recognize that we can attempt to educate others about how discrimination still fully exists and may benefit certain people. We also should recognize the people in history that have either fought to gain respect or simply had no light shone upon their stories.
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