It is currently February, which means it is Black History Month. This recognition is not enough, but it is a respectable time of reflection for the experience of African Americans in the country. By the way-- if you question Black History Month by asking when is White History Month, then you are racist. There is no reason to derail from Black History Month. Even if there was something as stupid as "White History Month", then there would still be no need to mention it during the month of February. This act of derailing is a massive problem in our current society. One of the more notable offenses would be how people interject the "Black Lives Matter" campaign with statements like "No, all lives matter" or "Well, white lives matter, too." The organization simply focuses on black lives and the social injustices that black lives have had to endure.
If you have a problem with this organization, then you might be forgetting about the esteemed impact of the NAACP a.k.a. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The NAACP was formed in the first decade of the twentieth century and has been a driven civil rights organization since. One of the founders of the NAACP was W.E.B. Du Bois. He authored the piece "The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches" and in this piece, there is an example of the very brief description of the long-term effects of institutionalized racism.
"The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins; the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land. Whatever of good may have come in these years of change, the shadow of a deep disappointment rests upon the Negro people-- a disappointment all the more bitter because the unattained ideal was unbounded save by the simple ignorance of a of a lowly people."
In short, Du Bois is commenting on how free African Americans were still not equal to white people. There were still major obstacles that prevented African Americans from living a life that could equate to the privilege of white people. At the end of his quote, he is addressing how it is not the natural order for this unequal division of people. This division of privileged and underprivileged was created by those who have the privilege. It was not a matter of right and wrong because there is little integrity with power.
Du Bois' quote is sadly still applicable to our current society. There is still racism in our country and white privilege is very real. If you are white and fail to recognize the reality of white privilege, then you are racist and have "not yet found peace from its sins." There is still a clear need for civil rights activism. Believe it or not, Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech" did not cure racism in our country. Racism is not something of the past. You do not have to be actively racist or outlandishly racist to be considered racist. Racism can come in very small doses, but those doses will always have an "all the more bitter" taste to them.
There is no excuse for racism. There is no being impartial to racism. Racism is not something that our society can keep trying to brush under the rug. There is an obvious inequality in our nation between white people and minorities. African Americans are not the only people who suffer from this social division. Take the rest of February to reflect on the social injustice in our society and learn to take a stand against racist actions, ideologies, and remarks. Even the smallest effort can make a big difference.
