Black History Month is an opportunity to spotlight Black leaders and their accomplishments along with educating people on African-American history that has often been silenced. Systemic racism and efforts to promote a white perspective in the United States of America has led to the neglect of Black voices and contributions. Current examples of this silencing include restrictions on educational curriculum across the U.S.
Over 30 state legislatures have introduced bills to limit the discussion of racial history and a significant number of books written by Black authors exploring topics of race, sexuality and gender have also been banned in the U.S.
LFA’s Information & Media Literacy Librarian, Ashley Kolovitz said, “Banning books is harmful to communities because it limits access to diverse perspectives, stifles critical thinking and erases cultural and historical narratives. Books that get banned often target literature that highlights Black experiences and struggles. Some of these authors are Richard Wright, Langston Hughes, Alice Walker and Tony Morrison. It’s important for us to include these works in our collections so that we don’t erase history and we use these books as a tool to explore different viewpoints.”
Florida is one of the states that has rejected the College Board’s AP African American Studies course; an opportunity for students to learn a comprehensive view of African American culture, history, political and social movements and literature. Florida’s Department of Education claims that the course is politically charged due to critical race theory. Critical race theory is the idea that racism goes deeper than individual bias and is embedded into policies and legal systems – something that Florida proves to be true with its “Stop WOKE” Act signed in 2022, which limits how race can be taught in the classroom causing discussions on systemic racism to be censored and dishonest.
Dean of Equity, Pluralism, Inclusion & Community at LFA, Lusanda Mayikana said, “It is flawed for us to believe that history didn’t happen and it is even more absurd to get to a point where we think we can erase Black history.”
The Trump Administration’s opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs signals that Black history and contributions from people of color are not prioritized by our current government. DEI efforts have been incorporated into workforce and educational settings to address structural racism that impacts marginalized groups. Dating back to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion have been implemented in policies like the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to prohibit any form of employment discrimination. With DEI efforts in place, inclusion, representation and equity are included in environments that have historically discriminated against marginalized groups. The decision to rollback DEI initiatives clearly demonstrates that addressing systemic inequalities and upholding diversity, equity and inclusion are not valued by the administration for America’s future—making Black History Month a necessity during this time of uncertainty.
Black History Month will continue being critical to our country as it is a time to highlight all contributions that shape our nation and promote cultural awareness, even during times when our own government fails to do so. While February is a month dedicated to celebrating black history, true inclusion means acknowledging Black history and contributions everyday, embedding them into education, media representation, policies and political discussions, all year long.
