Opinion

Is Black History Month Outdated with Obama’s Re-election as President

Is Black History Month still necessary with Barack Obama Election
Is Black History Month still necessary with Barack Obama Election

Has Black History Month met its end with the re-election of Barack Obama? One could make a solid case for calling a halt to the month of February as an official celebration of the achievements of Black Americans, since many of the injustices of the past have died away along with the perpetrators. In the 21st Century should not the focus be on a unified America that celebrates and acknowledges the achievements of all Americans throughout the year?

The advent of Black History month began in 1926 as the second week in February, and was known as Negro History Week. Its creator, black historian Carter G. Woodson was clear about its purpose and eventual end. He insisted at the time that the holiday be eliminated, when “black history became fundamental to American history.”

Last year, noted international author Maya Angelou appeared to agree when she explained in an interview, “We want to reach a time when there won’t be Black History Month, when black history will be so integrated into American history that we study it along with every other history,” according to Fox News.

Well, it appears apparent that the jury is in and the verdict is clear, the need for Black History Month has met it original purpose. Woodson’s edict was that the need for the month to continue into perpetuity was not its purpose. Black history has been mainstreamed into what it always has been, and that is; part of America’s history. Even Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman strongly asserted in a Sixty Minutes interview, “Black History Month is ridiculous… Black History is American History!”

Well it seems that Barack Obama’s election has sealed the deal on that, considering that February was chosen as the official month to honor Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Lincoln freed the black slaves and, is it not fitting that the end of this holiday has indeed run its natural course with the election and re-election of the first black president of the United States?

Americans have an opportunity to move on and stop reliving the practices and outrages of racism which once permeated every aspect of the nation’s culture. Blacks have been elected governors, and congress has growing numbers of black elected leaders. Now with a president who is black, where again is the need for Black History Month?

It is unnecessary to keep track of black achievement in areas of professionalism and other fields of achievement. These achievements are American achievements, and should not continue to be segregated or celebrated by racial designation.

The nation should be focused on celebrating the future of a united nation where racial designations have no purpose or place. If America is to truly become one nation, indivisible with justice for all, then it must do away with the categories and the special designations which continue to keep Americans separate and apart. Is this not now the spirit and practice of reverse racism?

If one were to scan the landscape of America, can anyone honestly say that the vestiges of slavery are still in existence in America? Certainly one can still find crushing poverty, spiraling joblessness, as well as growing gun violence and gang activity in large cities.

But those problems which plague large urban centers where blacks live in great majorities are not problems related to racism. In these cities blacks are in control of the reins of power, and unless one believes that blacks are discriminating against their own, racism is indeed dead.

So how long can Americans continue to be held hostage to a notion that a black person who has reached the summit of political power in this nation means Whites are perpetrating large scale racism?

How long can children in America’s classrooms be subjected to speeches and plays and political diatribes from teachers about “White Racism.” And should those children be exposed to lessons that focus on those ‘bad white people’ who used whips, hoses and dogs to attacks blacks, as if those practices still occur? Many black leaders and liberals would love to continue this pointless indoctrination in order to justify continuing affirmative action.

There is no need to promote a month that gives black children a reason to point fingers at white children and act as if they are being victimized. There is no reason for white children to duck their heads and feel unearned guilt for practices they were not responsible for and that no longer exist.

This month which fosters a false premise of continued racial suffering and separatism by a non-white society is untrue and unnecessary. Racial preferences based upon these continued falsehoods must cease. No child in America should be saddled with the notion that they have to give up their place in line for a job, a career or for justice based on race. This month has reached its saturation point and even its original creator Carter G. Woodson would say, “Enough is enough!”

America is a nation where justice must be color blind. The lessons of the past have given us a wonderful road map to the future. This is a future where special designated months for African Americans, Hispanics or any other racial preference group is not necessary or needed. We are all Americans, no subtitles are necessary.

How about next February 2014, at the beginning of the month each day becomes a reflection of what is good, great and outstanding in the core of each of us as Americans. This is something an undivided color-blind nation can truly celebrate.

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Kevin Fobbs

Kevin Fobbs is the former Community Concerns columnist for 12 years with The Detroit News covering community, family relations, domestic abuse, education, government relations, education, and dispute resolution. He has written for "Michigan Chronicle," “GOPUSA”, Fobbs was government and civic affairs director for SoulSource, a Christian news magazine, and host of The Kevin Fobbs Show www.kevinfobbs.com. He has written as the Christian and Culture examiner for Ann Arbor Examiner: https://www.examiner.com/x-33782-Ann-Arbor-Christianity--Culture-Examiner, and Ann Arbor and Cleveland Conservative Examiner: https://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-ann-arbor/kevin-fobbs His weekly faith-based Hearken The Watchmen column provides insight and answers on family, faith, and how to arrive at faith-based solutions to life challenges. His e-How articles range from, legal, health and education to electronic and culture and entertainment as well as home and business. Served 12 year as a gubernatorial appointee for Michigan’s Wayne County Social Services Board. He worked primarily on parenting and early childhood educational policy, domestic violence, family and children protection policy concerns. Developed programs to help parents develop healthy coping skills in the raising of their children. Was extensively involved in developing parental and child, family support networks at the local, county, and federal level. Kevin Fobbs has more than 35 years of wide-ranging experience as a community and tenant organizer, Legal Services outreach program director, public relations consultant, business executive, gubernatorial and presidential appointee, political advisor, writer, and national lecturer. He has been in the forefront of communications initiatives; devised and implemented strategies to win political and public support for client public policy issues and positions; directed electoral campaigns; and spearheaded as well as managed state and regional referendum, electoral, White House Initiatives, including Education, Social Security, Welfare Reform. Faith-Based Initiatives and many others. Kevin is co-chair and co-founder of AC-3 (American-Canadian Conservative Coalition) that focuses on issues on both sides of the border between the two countries. The American – Canadian Conservative Coalition (AC3) is a joint effort by grassroots Americans and Canadians to share information, issues, and policies that affect us individually and jointly. AC3 members are politically conservative and share the ideals of self-sufficiency, fair business competition, strong families, and joint homeland security. Above all, we believe in the right to freely exercise our chosen religion based on the principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law outlined in the founding documents of our country.

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