Tsione Wolde-Michael, an arts administrator and historian, offers three important ideas for organizations to think about as Black History Month gets underway in the US.
Negro History Week, later known as Black History Month, was first celebrated by African American scholar Carter G. Woodson in 1926. The goal was to promote the year-round study of African American history and culture rather than to draw attention to Black accomplishments for a few days or weeks.
I am especially proud of how the PCAH supports Woodson's goals as the first historian and African American to hold the position of executive director of the US President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The PCAH is strengthened by a new Executive Order that is ground-breaking in its appreciation of the scope and importance of the arts and humanities, its focus on equity, and its inclusion of historically underserved communities. It also recognizes the importance of a robust and accurate portrayal of marginalized histories to the health of our country. The PCAH will work to make histories that have been marginalized more central and accessible to the country as part of its mandate.
Social evolution and unity
Together with other educators, Woodson developed lectures, performances, school-based curricula, adult Black history groups, and publications that went well beyond Black History Month. For him, the fight against lynching was more urgent than recognizing the crucial role played by African Americans in US history. This is due to his conviction that social change and societal cohesion can be sparked by a historical narrative that incorporates the experiences and contributions of marginalized groups.
Nearly a century ago, Woodson experienced a sense of urgency that is still felt today. Our country's museums, libraries, theaters, and community-based cultural spaces have a special responsibility as debates over the inclusion of Black history rage on—whether through opposition to extensive Black public history initiatives or Florida's recent ban on an elective advanced placement course in African American Studies. These institutions play a crucial part in educating the general public about Black history and normalizing its full inclusion in American society through their collections, exhibitions, programs, and events. African American museums, libraries, and archives have been at the forefront of this work, creatively putting Black history at the center of our understanding of American life every day of the year despite being chronically underfunded.
Woodson was concerned that the significance of Negro History Week might be lost amid its growing popularity. Today, a lot of organizations are overly focused on the appearance of creating events for heritage month, turning it into a one-month checkbox for the public rather than a year-long, comprehensive effort. Although Black History Month is extremely important, the desire for institutions to show their support throughout the entire month seems to overshadow its main purpose. Black History Month should mark the annual culmination of a sustained effort to include Black history more broadly in US history, as Woodson urged. This dedication must include supporting Black institutions that carry out the work daily.
My work at the Smithsonian introduced me to smaller Black institutions across the nation that have been doing cutting-edge work to preserve and promote the Black history and democratize whose knowledge is valued. I was a founding member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the former director of the Center for Restorative History. Over the years, I've learned three crucial lessons that I want to share with those just starting on this work:
1. Work in Black history necessitates serious planning, preparation, and expertise. The expertise and viewpoints of Black specialists and community-based experts should be valued during that process.
2. Making room for histories that have been marginalized frequently requires modifying policies to be more inclusive. This entails reassessing criteria for categories like provenance or physical care that may unintentionally exclude significant elements of Black history.
3. Black history is still active today. It continues to exist, and to fully engage with its afterlives, one must examine how it has affected the present.
The timing of this work is crucial, whether it is being done at higher levels of government or a small local institution. This work promotes mutual understanding and strengthens democracy in a divisive environment. By doing this, maybe we can pay homage to Woodson's legacy and get a step closer to realizing his goal of having Black history become our shared national narrative.
Tsione Wolde-Michael is the executive director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities as well as a historian and arts administrator. The author's opinions in this piece are his or her own, and they may not necessarily represent those of PCAH or the US government.
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