Black History Month Or AMERICAN History Month?.

By Nadra Enzi —— Bio and Archives January 26, 2015

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Casting my eyes back to the segregated world which produced Dr. Carter G. Woodson's Negro History Week-precusor to Black History Month-I wonder yet again about its relevance?

If we need ethnic cheerleading at this late date of 2015, then surely we've overlooked epic progress from late last century. If it's overarching concern is reminding the rest of America about our contributions, my statement about overlooking epic late 20th century progress still applies. I know my ethnicity and am aware others percieve it too, either by joy expressed as one of the few "year round suntans" at conservative events to visible apprehension some pedestrians demonstrate while walking toward me on a dark sidewalk. My color only runs skin deep. It tells you nothing about my character nor philosophy. It's a vantage point for intimately understanding an imposed collective experience, not a value unto itself. If anything, February's Black History Month could be renamed, American History Month, since we are woven into every strand of the national fabric- instead of sewn separate from it. Looking forward from the segregation which produced what is now known as Black History Month, I see no need to resegregate myself. As a strand of the national fabric, year round sun tan and all, I still see February as American History Month. American history is OUR history and our history is AMERICAN history!