The End of Martin Luther King Month
Posted by shifto | Posted in I know Black people, Use of wiki encouraged | Posted on 16:02
There was a Chris Rock comedy routine where Rock claims that all he knows about black history is Martin Luther King. So he claims that whenever he's asked a question about black history he would reply "Martin Luther King." This even goes so far as to when he is asked who the woman is that refused to give up her seat on the bus he would say, "MartinA Luther King." It is my opinion that this brings up a real problem with the so-called "Black History Month."
If we are expected to celebrate something as rich as Black History then don't just shove one guy down my throat. There came a point that King was thrown at me so much that I just started ignoring anything more that I heard about him. At this point I feel I know only the bare essentials about King which include the following:
How many people, black or otherwise, find themselves in the same position as Chris Rock. That is, only being able to recall the name of King when it comes to anything Black American. There is more to Black America than King. Furthermore, there were many who I feel are more intelligent and more influential than King. However, that is sort of outside of the point I'm trying to make here.
The point is that regardless of King's accomplishments that the month of February, Black History Month, has become about as watered down as Christmas. The focus has been lost. Instead of a month to reflect on the accomplishments of Black Americans we have boiled it down to one topic. Martin Luther King. Every single time this month comes about I always hear every single politician quoting something King said. Each February of my life I have seen teachers posting pictures of King in the hallway or in recent days kids posting his image on their website. The second month of the year is much like the last month. "HO HO HO" is replaced with "I have a dream" and an old white guy replaced with a middle aged black guy.
What's the point? King already has a day in January and we're giving him the entirety of February, too? If we're going to have this Black History Month continue, then I propose the emphasis on King be removed and let's concentrate on people that actually mattered liked Frederick Douglass or W. E. B. Dubois. Why limit it to individuals? Why not go with broad topics like freemen as a whole or black activists groups like the NAACP as a whole.
Otherwise, let's just call it what it is. Martin Luther King Month.
If we are expected to celebrate something as rich as Black History then don't just shove one guy down my throat. There came a point that King was thrown at me so much that I just started ignoring anything more that I heard about him. At this point I feel I know only the bare essentials about King which include the following:
- He's black
- He was a minister
- He had a dream
- He cheated on his wife
- He's OVER RATED
How many people, black or otherwise, find themselves in the same position as Chris Rock. That is, only being able to recall the name of King when it comes to anything Black American. There is more to Black America than King. Furthermore, there were many who I feel are more intelligent and more influential than King. However, that is sort of outside of the point I'm trying to make here.
The point is that regardless of King's accomplishments that the month of February, Black History Month, has become about as watered down as Christmas. The focus has been lost. Instead of a month to reflect on the accomplishments of Black Americans we have boiled it down to one topic. Martin Luther King. Every single time this month comes about I always hear every single politician quoting something King said. Each February of my life I have seen teachers posting pictures of King in the hallway or in recent days kids posting his image on their website. The second month of the year is much like the last month. "HO HO HO" is replaced with "I have a dream" and an old white guy replaced with a middle aged black guy.
What's the point? King already has a day in January and we're giving him the entirety of February, too? If we're going to have this Black History Month continue, then I propose the emphasis on King be removed and let's concentrate on people that actually mattered liked Frederick Douglass or W. E. B. Dubois. Why limit it to individuals? Why not go with broad topics like freemen as a whole or black activists groups like the NAACP as a whole.
Otherwise, let's just call it what it is. Martin Luther King Month.
Once again, I blame Soulja Boy.
I'm just joking. I blame White people for legendizing the image of the good Doctor, and Black people for accepting it. Just do what I do - tell people about other aspects of Black history anyway.