Editorial
Part 1: The Essence of Black History Month
In October 1995, when OJ Simpson was acquitted for the brutal murder of his wife and her lover, many blacks apparently celebrated. Some in the black community believed that because the victims were white and the defendant black, the charges were racially motivated. At the other end of the railway tracks, the public there felt that Simpson had only gotten away because he had a brilliant lawyer. Chris Rock, a comedian, perhaps captured the crux of the acquittal best: Black people were very happy while white people were too mad. Other comics and black cognoscenti argued that black people were not REALLY celebrating OJ but his black lawyer, Mr. Johnny Cochran [RIP] instead. In either case, Mr. Rock quixotically asked: Where was the OJ Simpson Acquittal Prize black people were celebrating? For her part and a different vein, Wanda Sykes, a fellow black comedian, asked where black people could collect their ‘African American’ prizes when it was deemed that the term for ‘blacks’ was to be replaced with ‘African Americans.’ At the core of these aspects was a query: When would blackness translate into a benefit? What does being black have to do with the price of coffee anyway? And in line with this editorial, what does a black person gain from celebrating Black History Month in America every February?
Let’s get a few things straight: Carter Godwin Woodson, forbearer of Black History Month was right in calling for a time and place to honor and acknowledge the contributions of numerous African Americans. In 1926, only a few black people had the staying power of, say, Nelson Mandela. People did not even consider Cleopatra or the pyramid builder Pharaoh Tutankhamun as Africans. Africans were slaves, possessions and an inferior people. Nonetheless, in 2012, there is much to remember and marvel about. A timeline– starting from the early 17th Century – captures milestones; and if it does not make you mad about some of the heinous crimes against humanity, you may want to celebrate some portentous moments of blackness. At this, we raise a salutary cause to Lucy Perry, Phillis Wheatley, Gabriel Prosser, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Dred Scott, Hiram Revels, W.E.B. Du bois, Marcus Garvey … And this list goes on past Martin Luther King, jr, Mohammed Ali, Thurgood Marshall and down to Colin Powell and Barack Obama.
Philosophically, we could argue that these green shoots of black vegetation have sprung forth into solid trees in a forest of diversity. There are giants amongst those with more melanin in their skin and blood carousing their veins. Sadly, however, we are still trouping the same meme by looking for villains and heroes. Like specifically mentioned in Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible 2, every search for a hero must begin with something which every hero requires – a villain. Despite its origins in film noir, there’s truth to this since human beings are conditioned to find adversity to deprecate so that anyone that soars above it becomes some sort of exemplar – a hero. And there is really nothing wrong with that. But to return to Ms. Sykes’ question: Where is the prize for being African American? If we look at things from this perspective, all young African American males should be considered heroic simply because they are not incarcerated. Or maybe, freedom is an aspect of black heroism. The sardonic elements of this aside, Mr. Rock and Ms. Sykes might be compelled to ask: What has Mr. Obama’s election done for black people? Aren’t they still the wretched of America’s earth? What about those black people in Africa still mired in dirt, disease, drought, disaster and a whole host of diabolically tinged things? Invariably, Obama may represent much more than a sense of achievement. He could personify an intangible force of wholesome citizenship and acceptance: a sentiment that we can do more than sing, act or be great at sports. Ever since Martin Luther King Jr, this was especially missing from the African American psyche. One cannot put a price to pride and joy; and the Obama effect may prove to be the biggest positive on the African American psyche.
Contrariwise, what do we have as a tangible? Yes – we need to have this discussion because that is what everyone else has over black people. If we are the poorest, the least educated or even the most incarcerated, then these tangible statistics have an effect on the overall winner vs. loser dynamic vis-à-vis other races. Have things improved since the early 20th Century? Absolutely. However, we cannot deny that there are still villains crushing black heroes everyday. Should we celebrate black history? Yes. Should we recognize black heroes? Yes. But what is the point of glorifying a month within a system that superficially celebrates black people over the many others being noiselessly crushed? Of course, we are comparatively taking the structural argument over the individual or cultural domain. Many black entrepreneurs have conquered their adversaries; many sports personalities have become the figurines in people’s hearts – and many a black person has transcended color lines. Michael Jackson will always be black; Sade will forever rule as the ‘Smooth Operator’ and no one can replace the countless Africans who have made it to the world’s hall of fame.
But what should be done about those black businessmen who cannot do business in Utah simply because they are black? Why are some black families still afraid to drive along certain highways in certain states? Shouldn’t we be outraged that a black child is not as precious as a white child when it comes to public opinion? Is it legitimate for a sitting American president’s citizenship to be challenged three years into his term of office? Why is it necessary for black girls to straighten their hair? And just like that, we are back at the very beginning: Where is the prize for being black? Interestingly, Mr. Simpson is cooling his bottom in jail – a place he rightfully belongs, according to the collective sigh of [color, race and gender transcending] relief. Happy Black History Month, everybody.
Dennis Matanda
Editor – editor@thehabarinetwork.com