Rewriting the Narrative: Black History Month and Dismantling White Supremacy
Black History Month is not only a time of celebration but a powerful tool in restoring and preserving the historical memory of the African diaspora. Historical memory shapes the ways in which we understand the past, see ourselves, and envision the future, making it a powerful tool for change.
The dominant Eurocentric historical narrative currently distorts the histories of the African diaspora, perpetuating the myth that before enslavement Africans had no history. Yet, African history is deeply woven into the fabric of American history and society. In particular, the U.S. economy was built off of the labor and knowledge of African people. Many of the technological inventions and scientific discoveries that continue to serve as the basis of Western culture were appropriated from ancient African knowledge or contemporary African American developments.
Science, mathematics, astronomy, religion, government and art — among many other core concepts that run our world — originated in Africa. Throughout the writing of history, these discoveries have been attributed to Europeans like Hippocrates, who is known today as the “father of modern medicine;” however Hippocrates himself credited his knowledge to the Egyptian or Kmtic multi-genius, Imhotep. This is one of many documentations that affirm Africa as the birthplace of humanity and source of knowledge thousands of years before any of the “golden ages” occurring in Europe. Despite this, the dominant narrative has been meticulously fabricated to portray Africa as the “Dark continent.”
Carter G. Woodson, the historian behind the concept from which Black History Month originated, studied systems of education and coined the term mis-education to describe the institutional warping of this narrative. As the second African American to earn a PHD from Harvard University, he understood that the formal education he was given had distorted his view of Africa and the rest of the world. As an effort to restore the historical memory of African American youth, he established [Black] History Week in 1926, for them to present their history with the rest of society. Woodson encouraged a critical reflection of how formal education and socialization have shaped our minds and highlighted the significance of reaching past what is given to us by institutions, to correct the narrative ourselves.
Although the initiative to deconstruct this supremacy ideology-fueled narrative through reading and self-educating is immensely important, it is not a substitute for systemic education reform. Throughout the other 337 days of the year curriculums only include a fraction of world and American history continues to align with supremacy ideology that erases African diasporic people, their excellence and their historical memories. This institutional distortion, through the privileging of an inaccurate and white history, is an important factor in upholding white supremacy. Thus, the celebration of Black History Month and the centering of African diasporic histories is a step to countering these pervasive narratives and restoring historical memory.
When we fall short of acknowledging the contributions and rich histories of the African diaspora, we are unable to understand how the systems of white supremacy are designed to oppress the very people on whom they relied (and still rely upon) to hold power in the first place. Black History Month promotes the spread of suppressed knowledge and reminds us that the work is ongoing. In order to truly effectuate change, we must actively challenge mainstream thought, self-educate and push for systemic education reform.