Posted By  richards on February 17, 2014    
				
				Details                    Published: 17 February 2014              
    By Marc H. MorialNNPA Columnist  
    There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their    history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our    struggle and ancestors by remembering.  
     Lonnie    Bunch, founding director, National Museum of African American    History and Culture  
    Ever since the 2009 election of Barack Obama as Americas first    Black president and the 100th anniversary of the National Urban    League in 2010, the perennial debate about the need for Black    History Month has intensified. Some have questioned the need    for a special month to recognize the many unknown and unsung    achievements of African Americans. With Obama as president, the    logic goes, we have now achieved Dr. Kings dream of a    non-racial America where everyone is judged by the content of    their character, not the color of their skin. I wish it were    so.  
    Last year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on    Washington and the passage of the Voting Rights Act. This year    marks the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the    repeal of the poll tax. But unfortunately, the suppression of    voting rights and other instances of racial discrimination    remain. All one needs to do is look at the glaring disparities    between Blacks and Whites in income, employment, incarceration    rates, educational achievement and health status to see that    race still matters in America. Income inequality and equal    opportunity are still part of the unfinished business of    American democracy.  
    In 1926, after centuries of Blacks being excluded, not only    from the mainstream of American life, but also from the    textbooks in our schools, African American historian Carter G.    Woodson did a service to all Americans when he created Negro    History Week, which was expanded to Black History Month in    1976. Woodsons vision was one of unity and inclusion. He said,    What we need is not a history of selected races or nations,    but the history of the world void of national bias, race, hate    and religious prejudice. That is a goal that America is still    struggling to achieve.  
    In fact, legislatures in a number of states, including New    York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, have passed laws    mandating or encouraging teachers to broaden their history    courses to include more ethnic, racial and gender diversity.    That is why we still recognize March as Womens History Month,    May as Jewish American History Month, September 15 to October    15 as Hispanic Heritage Month and February as Black History    Month. These celebrations serve a dual purpose: first to build    self-esteem among historically oppressed people, and second to    remind all Americans that in the face of seemingly    insurmountable odds, our diversity is our greatest strength.  
    Black history is American history. While the story and    achievements of African Americans are especially celebrated    this month, the contributions we have made and the struggles we    still face deserve recognition every day of the year. Next    year, for the first time, Black History will enter the    mainstream when the Smithsonians National Museum of African    American History and Culture opens on the National Mall in    Washington. The Museum describes itself as a place of meaning,    of memory, of reflection, of laughter, and of hope. It should    be a beacon that reminds us of what we were; what challenges we    still face; and point us towards what we can become.  
    As we honor those who have made history, we must also recognize    that we are history in the making. Through our work, commitment    to equality and civic engagement, we can and we must, in the    words of President Obama, continue to right the wrongs of    history and make our world anew.  
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By Marc H. Morial NNPA Columnist
				
Category: Jewish American Heritage Month |  
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