Black History Month?

It has been said that the celebration of Black History Month, and the recognition of Martin Luther King’s birthday, does not belong to Caucasians. It is a celebration and recognition that belongs exclusively to those who identify as part of the African-American/Black community.

I wholeheartedly disagree. Here is why.

Reading from Isaiah in his home Synagogue, Jesus said, “The Spirit of God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. The Lord has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to those imprisoned, recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed and to proclaim a year of jubilee.”

Jesus here proclaims the will of God. Jesus here lies out his agenda, defining his mission and ministry. The Christian ethic is honored as often and as far as we, his incarnation, express this same passion in the fulfillment of his ministry and mission. That’s right: In the fulfillment of his ministry and mission. God’s presence in, with and to Christ Jesus is therefore hope for all who are poor, oppressed, imprisoned, blind or indebted.

It must be the same with those who seek to follow Christ Jesus. Our mission and ministry must be defined by, informed by, guided by, conducted through and approached from the fulfillment of his ministry and mission. We are to stand as hope for the poor, oppressed, imprisoned, blind and indebted. We are to work liberation for the captives.

Black History Month is a celebration of: 1. The decades-long work that leads to the liberation of a segment of culture and society that had been oppressed, victimized, excluded and rejected. In some ways, this segment of society remains outside the benefit of the systems under which we live and the cultural acceptance through which we exist. There is still work to do. This work belongs to all who seek to define their purpose in life according to the mission and ministry of Christ Jesus. 2. The many contributions of Black Americans to the shaping of contemporary culture and society. In so many cases, these are stories that many of us have missed in our traditional tales. The stories of Black Americans have been read only as “their story.” It is time to begin learning and celebration the stories of Black Americans as “our stories.” The celebration of Black History Month invites us all to embrace the stories of Black Americans as “our stories.”

Black History Month is not a celebration that belongs to “them.” It belongs to everyone. It is our story, ugly and abusive as it may be. The advantage of learning and reciting the stories of Black Americans is two-fold. First, we learn anew our full story as Americans. Secondly, through learning and reciting these stories, we may avoid ever repeating the social and cultural practices of exclusion, oppression, bias and prejudice.   Only when we allow the stories to become our own, ugly and unpleasant as they may be, do we stand the chance of living in peace and unity, in cooperation and liberty.

It is imperative, therefore, that we celebrate Black History Month. Allow each of those stories to become our stories, as we work together for the poor, the oppressed, the imprisoned, the blind and the indebted.