Ah yes, the month has come, the shortest month of the year, February. The month of love and an overly stressed male species, the month of Groundhog day, the month of Mardi Gras and oh yes, the time my people's history is reduced to a measely 28 or 29 days. How wonderful!
Although Black History Month is made to celebrate and honour being Black and the history that comes with it, we never really celebrate "Black" history. Let's be honest, we celebrate "Black-American" History Month. And with this I start to wonder what does "being Black" mean? And of course as a Black person, I should have a lot of knowledge with this. The term is usually used to refer to someone of African descent, regardless of nationality. In the Western countries, due to their past, it extends to anyone who is mixed with Black as well. But what do people think of when they hear the term "Black"?
As an African, I know it's not me nor my fellow Africans. The image of being Black is solely relegated to Black-Americans. So when people say the Black Community, they aren't talking about the Black race, they are talking about Black-Americans. I can atest that as an African, I can't relate to the "Black-Culture" that is being put in conversations. I mean I barely had an understanding of race until 2017. Before that the words Black and White were just colours. Growing up in Africa "Black-Culture" doesn't exist. Our cultures all differ, yes we are mostly Black, yes we have similarities in our cultures, but they absolutely differ according to countries, just like in Europe. So no, Black-Culture doesn't exist, Black-American Culture does.
And I understand that this sounds as if I'm doing the whole "Africa vs. Diaspora" thing, but really it's just a celebration of differences. We are different and that's okay. Just as Black-Americans call for diversity and inclusivity in mainstream media, I believe Africans should be given this as well. Black-Americans are at the forefront of all things Black, when the Black race is so diverse. We need representation, no, you can not have a movie based on an African superhero and have Americans play the movie. African smelled those fake accents straight-away. We also have problems. You just can't stop the world and force it to support your cause when we have problems as well. Not all black people experience racism, not all black people have the same experiences. (From this I'm guessing you can probably tell I have issues with the Black Lives Matter movement).
Our story as a people, was not written in a month, or a day, or a year nor a week. Our story as a people doesn't start with slavery and it doesn't end with Martin Luther. The story started in the continent and continued in it and is still continuing. Black History Month focuses on Black-American history. And as it shows time and time again, being African is claimed when it is "cool".
Black History should never be celebrated in only one month. On the continent, our history is celebrated every single day. From the national holidays, to what we are taught in school, to the monuments and the statues, to the flag. We don't forget our history and we don't make it compact to fit in a make-up bag. We revel in it.
And to be honest, there have been various American minorities that have had a history. So why isn't a Jewish History Monthor Asian History Month celebrated as much? (I literally,just found out they exist, the US apparently has a month for everything). See, that just doesn't sit right, since they already have a place where their history is celebrated. I mean even Germanty, Germany, the country that feels guility for all the sins in the world, doesn't have Jewish History Month.
Does this article sound like a jealous African? Yes, most definitely. But is the said African tired of misrepresentation? Yes, you guessed right again. So as we move forward, change things that don't want to involve us to "Black-American". Respectfully, I ask, of course.
Song:
Black - Dave
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