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The year just started, and yet it feels like it’s already trying not to overstay its welcome. It seems I blinked and missed out on January, and February is here in full force.
February is an important month to me for a variety of reasons, but as one of the few black editors in the Citizen’s history, it’s part of my responsibility to highlight and recognize Black History Month.
I think it’s important that people recognize that the distinction between ‘Black History’ and ‘American History’ is basically non-existent as the history of African Americans have been intertwined with the foundations of the country. While the origins of our culture here in the U.S. started with unfortunate circumstances through slavery, black people have never let their circumstances keep them from progressing despite experiencing adversity at nearly every step of the way.
From the very roots and seeds planted into the ground during the early days of the union, to the inventions of modern-day conveniences, black people have had their hands in so much of how the country has been shaped. To be black, is to be American. The two are one in the same and should be viewed as such.
When I say this, I do not mean to say that we should ‘not see color’ when it comes to our fellow Americans. I think that’s a played-out sentiment that, despite coming from a good-hearted place, does not represent what the true vision of a ‘melting pot country’ is supposed to be. I am proud of my blackness, just as I hope each of you are proud of your own cultures. Culture is such a big part of our experience, and there are different shared experiences depending on what culture you hail from, or even how you look.
Saying the phrase ‘I don’t see color’ is a way to say that we are all the same on the inside as humans and American citizens. But the differences between cultures in the U.S. is so clear, it’s not wise to be blind to it.
People are so dependent on relating to someone or finding that they are the same in some way to understand them. Does that mean someone you cannot understand shouldn’t get the same courtesy and attention? Do we have to be the same to work together to make each other better? I don’t subscribe to that notion.
The point is not to pretend that we are not different, but to acknowledge, respect and even fall in love with what makes us different. The U.S. is supposed to be the ultimate example of how every culture in existence can live free and in harmony with others who may not share the same background. Working together through our differences to make a better nation is exactly what we’ve stood for from the beginning. Using our different experiences to create the idea of a ‘common’ good is what helps push our nation forward.
I do indeed see color. I see what makes each of us different and how that can impact one’s thinking or behaviors. As we go through Black History Month, I hope you recognize the men and women who have actively taken part in the building of this nation and this county. Black history is just American history through the black perspective.
Don’t look away from color, or culture differences. Look at them in the face and embrace them as the identity of America is found in the combination of all of our cultures, ideas and experiences.
