Does black history have a future?

On March 1, after 30 days of celebration, Black History Month will disappear again--with no real progress to show for it

by CHENIER BELGRAVE

It's Black History Month again and, as is the case for many black people in Canada, I have been asked to explain the mysteries of my pigmentation to the rest of the nation. This is the month that black people everywhere prepare to put on the stereotypical show for the ignorant masses. Created to address the lack of black historical truths, it is supposed to edify the ignorant and vindicate the enlightened. Instead it has become little more than a photo opportunity for politicians of all races.

What is truly tragic is that, despite my personal feelings about Black History Month, I have to defend it with every fibre of my body. The reason for this is that, as far as Western democratic politics are concerned, there is no such thing as historical rediscovery or reconstruction--only destruction. It is dehumanizing to think that my history is not part of human history, but that cannot be brought into question, for fear that I may lose the little glimmer of hope known as Black History Month.

If the people who are native to this region of the world can be segregated and made to be thought of as second-class citizens, how and why should I expect to have more than 28 days of history? Human equality has no choice but to be relegated to a few short days. This means in essence that I return to my two-fifths human status on the first of March. I have no choice but to welcome the parties and the shows and the displays and the lectures, pretending that we breathe the same air and eat the same food as the decision makers and policy shapers in our society.

I'm not complaining. Without this month, my journalistic talents--or lack thereof--would not have been requested by the Mirror in the first place. This is the only time of the year that I can say that my opinion counts. And it does not matter that all I do is explain the obvious to the ignorant. The obvious is that we are human and we have all contributed to history in some form or fashion. The semantics of who was first, and who created what, only bears witness to the power of the human spirit: we've all left our mark on human civilization.

Created to rectify one of the many injustices that have been heaped upon people of African decent, this month has stopped evolving. This lack of evolution is what I have a problem with. Something must be wrong when humanity approaches the millennium still carrying the baggage of centuries past. As a minority, there is no reason to believe that this society owes anything to me or to anyone else. However, if Black History Month is about recognizing a debt, then proper remuneration should be paid.

What would be nice to see this month is for everyone to finally address a key issue that has been plaguing this community: changing the future of black history. It would be nice for our existing politicians, black and white, to examine what institutions exist in our community, as well as their effectiveness. Could we have actual change initiated in this month that would last throughout the whole year? Since all of this is just wishful thinking, on the first of March I will return to living the stereotype of the black man having hope that, next year, something might change.

Chenier Belgrave is the publisher of the Montreal-based magazine The Real Scene. He is also president of the Caribbean Students' Association at Concordia University