Analysis of Black History Month - Essay Example

 Analysis of Black History MonthBlack History Month is a month of remembrance concerning the positive and valuable impact which African Americans have had on American society in general. It is celebrated in the month of February to remember the contributions made by African Americans to the culture, economy, society, science and to the arts in America. Black history month is essentially an international phenomenon as it is also celebrated in Canada and the United Kingdom (Wikipedia, 2008). This month is important to me personally because it notes the achievements and the history of a very important segment of the population that had been marginalised for many decades even after slavery had been abolished.

Celebrating African American history does a lot more than simply show us the contributions African Americans have made to society; it also promotes the idea of equality and understanding for all races which make up our society.Appreciation for black history does not have to be concerned with events and situations which developed concerning African Americans since they can also focus on individuals. People such as Willie Brown become good examples of how influential African Americans have been in recent history as Willie Brown served for more than three decades in the California State Assembly and remained the speaker of the body for fourteen years.

He continued his political career to become the only African American Mayor to govern San Francisco as a Democratic Party member (Wikipedia, 2008). Going further back in time, we have figures such as Malcolm X who started off as a petty thief and ended up being one of the greatest leaders in American history. We can certainly compare his life to other leaders who went through trials and confrontations before coming to terms with their thoughts and their understanding about the world. However, Malcolm X often met opposition from those who respected and admired him once he changed his viewpoints about violence and the use of force.

Malcolm was one of the major black leaders to advocate equality and understanding towards peoples of all religions whether they be Muslim or Christian (Wikipedia, 2008). Even further in history, we have Frederick Douglass who is perhaps the greatest African American leader produced by the country. He was a lot more than a mere politician since he was an author, a reformer, an abolitionist and a magnificent orator. In fact, Black history month is celebrated in February to honor Frederick Douglas since that was the month in which he thought he was born and that was the month in which he died.

He firmly held on to the idea of equality not only of racial equality but also of religious equality and gender equality which essentially makes him one of the first supporters of feminism (Wikipedia, 2008). With heroes and leaders such as these, black history month remains valuable for the people of today and I feel that its importance will only increase with time. Today, perhaps more than ever, we need understanding between different people from different races, religions and creeds and that understanding can only come when we all make an effort to see how hatred and bigotry have affected us in the past.

It is important to note events such as black history month which can certainly help us reduce the level of hatred and bigotry in the society that will take shape in the future.Works CitedWikipedia. 2008, ‘Black History Month’, [Online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_History_Month