Each February, people are encouraged to shift their attention to Black history and honor the contributions that Black people have made to society. While there is a large focus on times of struggle, such as the eras of American slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, Black History Month is meant to honor Black excellence, not just pain.
Becky Marshall, an associate professor of history at the University of Mississippi, believes Black history is necessary to understand America.
“You cannot understand American history without understanding Black history,” Marshall said. “It is a core narrative that explains a lot of the things that we want to understand about our country.”
Because of how expansive Black history is, many people have different first-hand impressions of its representation. Regional differences also influence the idea of Black history among some students.
Graduate sociology student Savannah Avery attributed her perspective on Black history to having lived in the South.
“(Living in the South) made me keenly aware that prejudice and racism are real and pervasive issues,” Avery said. “It’s a narrative unlike any other, filled with stories of resilience, courage and perseverance. Witnessing the lengths to which Black leaders were willing to go to fight against oppressive forces has underscored for me the importance of Black history, particularly in the South.”
Sophomore Allura McGee, a communications sciences and disorders major, also believes living in the South shaped her view.
“I can literally talk to my great grandma, who was here in the South during the different eras, and she can tell me what she went through,” McGee said.
Marshall, a Michigan native, expressed how her childhood school’s Black history curriculum was lackluster compared to what her children currently have in Memphis.
“I grew up in an all-white Catholic school in the suburbs of Detroit, and I literally don’t remember (the school curriculum) doing a single thing for Black History Month,” Marshall said. “To see music programs and biographical projects that my kids get to do, it’s neat to see that kind of change over time in my lifetime. It’s actually a priority in my kids’ school curriculum, where it definitely was not in mine.”
David Henen, an applied linguistics graduate student, was born and raised in Egypt and believes there is not a holistic representation of Black culture in the South.
“The traumatic history of Black people catches more attention by nature than other elements in it,” Henen said. “I’ve seen several civil rights museums that do not provide a section for Black people’s artistic production of music, dance or even academia.”
Sophomore Ashton Ringo, a biological science major, echoed Henen’s sentiment, expressing that the achievements of African Americans deserve to be highlighted.
“What I love about it the most is the fact that most of those tragedies brought something beautiful,” Ringo said. “I feel like that helped make blues into what it is, which then helped develop a lot of other African American music styles that express us as a whole community.”
Marshall, too, believes traumatic stories can also be viewed through the hope that is born from them.
“If you look at the Civil Rights Movement, for example, you can tell that story in a way that focuses on the specific traumas and injustice, as you should,” Marshall said. “But at the same time, if you have questions about how people involved in a long-term struggle sustain their energy and their commitment, that’s a story about the way that people could find joy in building relationships with each other.”
Many organizations on the UM campus aim to host events that help share the story of Black history. Although the past is irreversible, reshaping it is a power that students have the ability to use.
Avery explained that this focus on the past is beginning to shift in the South.
“In my community, we tend to focus more on the achievements and scholarly contributions that have emerged from the creativity and resilience of the Black community, particularly during oppressive periods,” Avery said. “Instead of solely dwelling on the hardships endured, there’s a growing emphasis on celebrating the victories, both big and small, that the Black community has consistently achieved throughout the centuries.”
