Black History Month

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It is nearly the end of Black History Month, a time of year that takes on a different meaning for me now. Last year I became aware of the need to celebrate Black excellence in and of itself versus constantly viewing Black history as simply overcoming adversity. This year I've tried to reflect even more on how to make this real and meaningful for Little Man as he gets older.

I was especially inspired by the new and unexpected celebrations I saw. Black hairstyles, for instance, were highlighted by Sesame Street as well as by the artwork of author/illustrator/filmmaker Vashti Harrison and others. An inaugural Black Children's Book Week, founded by @BlackBabyBooks, is designed to promote books and authors. Art, music, food -- there are so many ways to celebrate history while embracing cultural pride, and we are continuing to consider how to bring all of that to life for Little Man.

That's not to say that we need to gloss over the bad and overemphasize the good for him -- to do so would be disingenuous. Yes, Black excellence needs its time to shine. However, the sacrifices and lessons passed down from the ancestors cannot be forgotten. Their struggles and losses are now his struggles and losses, and to know where he is means he must know where he came from.

The thing we need to focus on most, though, is remembering that history is all-encompassing. While the recognition of Black history is surely something, relegating it to just a month is minimizing the bigger picture. How do we avoid implying that history is less important during the other eleven months? How do we ensure that we don't create the perception that the entirety of Black history didn't just occur during the 28 days of February? Black history is still occurring as life progresses, and the celebrations, acknowledgements, and honors must live on. Little Man's history will never be the same as mine, so I need to ensure that I'm not distorting his view through my lens.

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