BLACK LIVES MATTER, TOO
Negro History Week, the original name for Black History Month, originally took place February 12 to February 14. Its purpose was to educate and maintain the knowledge that is Black History. However, when it comes to addressing Black History from an academic standpoint, often the general approach begins with slavery and concludes with the death of Martin Luther King. Instead of celebrating all black achievements, schools cover the general narrative when it comes to black history – Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou to name a few. In order to truly value Black History, what must be understood is that the story does not end with Civil Rights leaders, but rather, introduces a period of innovation and progression society tends to omit. There are so many African-Americans with miraculous contributions to the world who are not recognized widely enough. Among them are people like Charles Drew who lead groundbreaking research in blood transfusion and Dr. Philip Emeagwali who pioneered today's technological advancements and created the world's first fastest computer with 3.1 billion calculations per second.
Nowadays, mainstream African-American artists are using their platform to educate their audiences about other notable black movements that have taken place in history and are relevant today. A recent example is the artist Beyoncé. During her Super Bowl performance, Beyoncé and her all-black female dancers paid tribute to Michael Jackson, as well as the Black Panthers (a national organization to combat oppression since 1966). It has since been turned into a controversy that is said to be targeted and tailored specifically to African-Americans due to her overt pride for her racial identity. In addition, artist Kendrick Lamar's Grammy performance faced equal and maybe greater criticism for its interpretation of police brutality and racial prejudice.
The question now becomes, how does pride in one’s own race be considered the slander of another? Displays of black pride should not be interpreted as racism, but rather a celebration of culture and advancement. For instance, the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is considered controversial, but initially it came from injustice and grew into racial awareness. Many can recall its establishment in 2012 with the murder of teen Trayvon Martin at the hand of Neighborhood Watch captain and officer, George Zimmerman. Although Zimmerman was put on trial, he was never held accountable for his actions, starting the national movement for the liberation and validation of black lives. Despite Trayvon's death, two years later, Michael Brown, another African-American teen, was shot by a white officer. Several other young unarmed African American males became victims of similar crimes. Police brutality continues to fuel support for “Black Lives Matter”.
What needs to be understood is that “Black Lives Matter” is for all marginalized groups, working for unity and equality, not oppression. The movement is not exclusive of other races, but it is centralized on African-American lives and their preservation so that the history continues to develop. Likewise, Black History Month’s purpose is to celebrate, educate and liberate all lives and it continues to do so.