The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Our Readers Speak

March 1, 2013

Our Readers Speak — Friday, March, 1, 2013

Why is there not a White History Month?

Every February some, not all, white people ask why there is no White History Month. More often than not, the question accompanies criticism of Black History Month.

Amusingly, no one has any problem with Asian or Hispanic American Heritage Month(s), but I digress.

To answer the question of why there is no White History Month is simple: It’s bad PR.

Personally I’m not a fan of Black History Month. I dislike how the occasion tends to shape the discourse on what’s “acceptable” black history. It restricts the history to soft stuff like black “firsts,” as if blacks have no existence or purpose otherwise.

As for White History Month its creation would likely aid in shattering this glass box; considering that “white history” comes with quite a few footnotes of explicit racism, some interesting dialogue would likely arise if such a month did exist.

If we’re going to talk about some white people’s actions from a purely racial standpoint, I imagine it would be pretty difficult to do so without mentioning how the foundation for the wealth of this country was built on the backs of black American slaves. Is this really something we’re going to celebrate? Pettiness aside, is this really something some white people want to explore with regularity?

White History Month would be right up my alley. Its existence would likely neutralize Black History Month and pop the lid right off the trend of white liberals and their black subordinates always trying to cheat the truth.

“The leading facts of history should be studied by all, but what advantage is it to the Negro student of history to devote all of his time to courses bearing on the exploits of such despots as Napoleon, Alexander the Great and Caesar, or to the records of those nations whose outstanding achievement has been rape, murder and plunder for world power.” — Carter G. Woodson

Adib Aqeel

Beckley

 

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