I want to take a little different approach to Black History Month this year. I know there are some people that don’t think we even need something called “Black History Month”, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
In light of February being Black History Month, I want to use the opportunity to explore a few diversity and inclusion issues that we have currently going on in our country. But before we can do that, you need to understand why we actually need it in the first place.
Let me warn you, you may not like everything you read here. Some of the opinions below might rub you the wrong way. But I dare you to read to the very end and then have open conversations with others in your circle about the topics I talk about below.
Here’s what I’m going to cover:
- Why black history month is important and we need to focus on it more.
- A few role models from history that we can learn from.
- Why do we need to stop focusing on the problem of diversity and focus on solutions instead?
- How we can make a difference in 2020.
Why Black History Month is Important
We all know there are people out there who don’t think we really need Black History Month anymore. I mean, everyone’s equal, right?
Here’s the thing—as a society, we don’t care enough about black history. And when I say “we”, I’m including black people.
The Smithsonian Institute conducted a survey back in 1988 when they were getting ready to open a slavery exhibit that proved this fact. The results are referenced in an article by the National Museum of African American History & Culture: “The results were fascinating—92% of white respondents felt slavery had little meaning to them—these respondents often said ‘my family did not arrive until after the end of slavery.’ Even more disturbing was the fact that 79% of African Americans expressed no interest or some embarrassment about slavery.”
This is a problem. Slavery, something nobody likes to talk about, is what started our entire issue in America with racial inequality. Now we want to promote diversity and inclusion, but we’re afraid to talk about the very thing that started it all. Or, worse yet, we just don’t care to do it.
#NotThatLongAgo
Slavery was a part of our American history for 250 years. It’s only been 155 years since it was abolished. Let’s think about this in a practical way. For some young adults right now, their great-great-grandparents were slaves.
Last year there was a Twitter movement, #NotThatLongAgo, that drove this point home. People shared their stories of how many generations removed from slavery they were. One man shared that he asked his 101-year-old great-grandfather about it, and he responded that his parents had been slaves. For people like this man, he was speaking to a family member who was only one generation removed from slavery. Let that sink in for a minute.
That means there are plenty of people in America who don’t think slavery is that big of a deal because it’s something in the history books and it doesn’t personally touch them. But there are others who are hearing the personal stories handed down from generations.
The reality is, that slavery wasn’t that long ago and desegregation happened recently enough that we all know people who lived in a segregated America. These were both major parts of American history.
Black History Month is not meant to pit blacks and whites against each other. And it’s not meant to celebrate one race while excluding another. It’s meant to highlight some of the important people and events of our American history. And please read that “our” as Americans of all colors.
Ignoring the past and pretending it didn’t exist is not going to help us move forward with inclusion efforts.
But I think it’s more than just remembering the past and honoring those who have made a difference for all of us alive today. We need to study the past so we can see what we should be doing to continue the efforts.
The names that are remembered during February each year are not the people who felt sorry for themselves because life wasn’t fair to them. They aren’t the ones who allowed their circumstances to hold them back. And they aren’t the ones who focus on the problem instead of finding a solution.
They are the ones who rose above their circumstances. They are the ones who said, “I’m going to find a way.” And they’re the ones who understood that equality for some didn’t mean inequality for others.
And that’s why I want to use Black History Month 2020 to challenge you, regardless of your race, to see what role you can play in moving inclusion efforts forward. Inclusion for all—Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, Asians, disabled, those with mental health challenges, and anyone else.
Examples of black role models we can learn from
Harriet Tubman
I won’t go into too much detail because most people know the story of Harriet Tubman, but let’s look at the facts about her for a minute.
She was born a slave. While enslaved she was physically harmed in many ways, including being hit with a weight that resulted in her having seizures periodically for the remainder of her life. After escaping to freedom herself, she helped other slaves escape by doing nineteen more trips from the South to the North. And if that weren’t enough, she helped the Union during the Civil War as well.
What if Harriet Tubman had focused more on her problems and what wasn’t right about her life instead of doing something? What if she waited around for someone else to make life different for her? Can you imagine if she let the circumstances she was born into dictate her life?
Frederick Douglass
If you want to talk about Black History Month, then you’d better know who Frederick Douglass is. The reason we celebrate this month in February is that it aligns with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, two men who worked hard to end slavery and work toward equality.
He was an escaped slave who fought for freedom and equal rights before and after the Civil War. And after that, he turned his attention to working for women’s rights.
Frederick Douglass was taught the alphabet as a child, and that was all he needed to get started. He learned on his own to read and write, and that was the fuel for the fire that he needed. He educated himself through newspapers and reading whatever he could. And he taught other slaves how to read as well.
Can you imagine if Frederick Douglass stopped his education just because it was hard for him and no one was willing to teach him? What if he had selfishly kept his advancements to himself and didn’t teach others to read or work to help others gain freedom and equality? What if he had spent all his energy on being bitter and resentful that he was a slave instead of taking steps to better himself?
There are so many more
I was going to give you three examples of blacks who played an incredible role in Black History and American History, but there are just so many more who deserve mentioning. I can’t possibly get them all in here.
W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington didn’t see eye to eye with each other, but they both worked to help make a positive change in America in the way they saw best. And how can we have a discussion of Black History without the mention of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks? And we’re still leaving out key players who helped to end slavery and fight for equal rights.
There is one thing that we can learn from all of them:
We need to stop focusing on the problem of diversity
Look at everything the individuals above had to overcome to get us to the place where we are today: slavery, abuse, hatred, no formal education, and the list goes on.
Is everything equal and fair in society today? No. Is it a lot better because of the work of people like those mentioned above? Yes.
Here’s the thing about these people—they didn’t focus on the problem, they focused on the solution. They created solutions.
America loves to focus on problems. We’re a society full of griping and complaining when we don’t think something is fair.
I might step on a few toes here, but there are plenty of black people who enjoy discussing all the issues with diversity and inclusion but don’t want to do anything that really makes a difference.
They’re tired of being stereotyped. They feel held back because they don’t have easy access to a college education. Or they aren’t being paid equally. Or because of where they grew up, they don’t have the same “privileges” as the majority.
But let’s be completely honest, some of these people could do things to improve their lives, but they don’t want to put the work into it. They’d rather be unhappy and blame their circumstances on the color of their skin.
What if we all did something instead of just talking about it?
I’m sure you’ve probably heard the quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” Well, I think as a society we need to start taking that advice.
If you want to continue working toward everything being equal, like access to mental health help, education, and closing the racial wealth gap, then stop complaining and start looking for what part you can play in bringing the change to light.
How can we build upon black history in 2020?
1. Stop clinging to an obstacle that doesn’t belong to you
Unfortunately, the slavery mindset didn’t end with slavery. It’s 2020. And while slavery wasn’t that long ago, it is over. Blacks aren’t slaves. Whites aren’t slave owners.
Continuing to operate in these mindsets or off these feelings will only hold everyone back.
We have issues when it comes to diversity and inclusion in America. There’s no doubt about it. We still have a way to go for things to look like they should. But it’s not helping anyone for blacks to operate out of a hatred for the entire white race because of what happened in the past with slavery.
If you hold prejudice toward the majority because of the inequality and injustice of the past, it’s time to forgive and move forward to present times. As a society, we can never move forward if we are stuck in the past.
2. Start encouraging other blacks in their efforts to improve their lives
Minorities need to stop shaming others for trying to improve their own situation. And this doesn’t just happen in the low socioeconomic neighborhoods either, although it’s a rampant problem there as well.
Here’s what this looks like:
- Making fun of a black person because they “talk white”
- Acting like another person isn’t “black enough” because of how they talk, what they like, what they listen to, or what they’re doing with their lives
- Viewing another black person like an outsider because they went to college, became an executive, or succeeded professionally in some other way
Here’s the difficult thing about doing this. It’s likely that if you’re reading this blog post, you aren’t part of the group that’s doing this. But that doesn’t mean you can’t play a larger role in changing this dynamic.
3. Take advantage of the resources you have access to
The statistics continue to show that many black communities don’t have access to the same resources as others. They are low-income neighborhoods, and the people living there don’t have access to the same good schools as other neighborhoods in the city. Many lack the transportation they need to get to resources outside of their neighborhood easily.
This is a problem. Everyone should have access to the resources they need. Things like education, mental health assistance, and medical help should be easy to access for everyone. I think we’d all agree on that.
But I want to challenge everyone to use the example of the heroes and role models from Black History. Instead of focusing on what people don’t have access to, let’s encourage people to start taking advantage of the things that they do have access to.
Hit the library
Cities work hard to put libraries in locations where they’ll be accessible to anyone. That means if you live in a low-income neighborhood, you still have a way to self-educate yourself on any topic you want. Even if you didn’t have the chance to go to the best school and college wasn’t even an option, the library is waiting for you.
You have access to any book in the library system along with being able to use the internet and computers for free. Thanks to access to things like YouTube, you can learn from experts in any industry.
Did no one show you how to handle finances? Are you struggling with depression or anxiety? Do you want to find a way to learn a trade or go to school to get a start on getting an education so you can change the direction of your life? The answers are waiting for you, but you might have to do the hard work of finding them on your own.
Support the schools
There are public schools accessible to every child in America. Instead of complaining that the school in your area isn’t good enough, start doing something to help. Donate money or supplies to the school. Volunteer in your child’s classroom.
Support the teachers who are taking the jobs in these schools. These aren’t the desired teaching positions because many of the parents are uninvolved and some of the students are out of control.
If you believe that these are just stereotypes, go and talk to these teachers. Ask to hear their stories about what the kids in their class do and talk about. The reality is many of these children come from broken homes where they aren’t getting the attention they need, and they’re learning things and being exposed to things children don’t need to know about.
What can you do to help?
Use community resources and hotlines
If you’re struggling with mental health challenges, substance abuse, or other medical conditions, there are resources that can help you. There are community health options and mental health options available. And there are plenty of free hotlines that you can call for help.
I’ve even compiled a list of Mental Health Resources to make it easier for people to find the help they need.
4. Start having conversations with people who don’t look like you
Do you feel that others are believing untrue stereotypes about blacks? Have you talked to them about it? And I don’t mean approaching them in a defensive, confrontational, or aggressive way. I mean just talking to them to see what things look like from their perspective.
As a mental health speaker, I always try to encourage people to start talking about mental health challenges. We need to have more awkward conversations about it. And I believe that we need to do the same thing for diversity and inclusion.
We need to have groups of people sitting around who are all different shades talking about race, prejudice, stereotypes, and sharing their personal stories. Will this feel a little awkward? Probably at first and maybe for a long time.
But how will these conversations ever become less awkward if we never have them? And without having open conversations around race and stereotypes, how will we ever actually work toward truly achieving inclusion for all?
The answer is that we won’t. We need these discussions.
How to have conversations about race
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you work on having conversations about race, diversity, stereotypes, prejudice, and all the other important topics:
- Don’t be offended. If you want to have honest conversations, then you need to learn to let go of offense. These are hard topics to talk about and many people are operating from years of believing stereotypes they might not even realize they believed. But if they’re willing to be having conversations with you, then it means they want to learn a different way. If you get offended because they accidentally say something a little offensive, the conversation will end and you’ll have lost your chance to share your story.
- Don’t be aggressive or confrontational. What happens if someone comes at you in an aggressive manner to convince you to agree with them on something? Most likely, you dig your heels into the ground and push back. No one wants to be confronted in an aggressive way. You’ll shut the conversation down and you may reinforce stereotypes that others have. Learn to have these tough conversations with grace.
- Let go of your own stereotypes. If you want others to listen to you and learn to let go of their stereotypes, then you need to do the same thing. Guess what—not every white person was born into a great upbringing. There are white men who grew up in low-income neighborhoods with broken homes, who couldn’t go to college, and who didn’t have a better start than you.
Personal responsibility is not a bad thing
The reason we can celebrate Black History Month is that there were black people, even slaves, who decided to take personal responsibility for how their life was going to go.
The phrase “responsibility” can feel almost like a bad word to some minorities. You may have heard the message some are saying “If you only took responsibility for your life, it could be a lot better.” And while that message may be the completely wrong thing for people to say, there’s truth to it.
We, as humans, are capable of a lot more than we often give ourselves credit for. There are resources available to everyone including minorities in low-income neighborhoods that slaves could only dream of.
And yet, we celebrate the month of February because they decided that they were going to take the step of being responsible for making a change. Not complaining about what was wrong.
So, for Black History Month 2020, I challenge you, regardless of your color, to look at how you can play a part in making a change for inclusion efforts for future generations. We owe it to those who came before us to pave the way.