Graphic by Cameron Adams
Elijah Karriem
Social Media Editor
Someone recently asked me, “How do I celebrate Black History Month?” My go-to response has been a simple and generic, “Oh, just by paying homage to the trailblazers before me.” However, in my 22 years of living, I am just now realizing that black history goes beyond merely spending 28, or if we’re lucky, 29 days honoring the legacy of being gifted and black.
It involves acknowledging how my ancestors sacrificed, prayed, and fought their way for me to be where I am today. February is the shortest month on the calendar, so I return service and stick it to the man by using every month, day, hour, even down to the second, to proudly declare that I am a black male born and raised in Mississippi, and I am black and proud of it! A month is simply not enough for me to celebrate myself, let alone the heritage of being black.
It is evident in the way I walk, how I talk, the way I style my afro, or how I position myself to stand boldly in a room. I feel the need to express more than words can convey about how proud I am of my smooth melanated coco skin.
So, when asked, “How do I celebrate Black History Month?” I smile, understanding the complexity of this loaded question. “Is it really just a month?” However, I use this month as a reflection tool, going back to those days where Mrs. Summerville, my 1st-grade teacher, would pull out the T.V. with wheels, and the class would sit on the color-coded carpet to watch “Our Friend, Martin.”
Taking those small, innocent moments and breathing life into them by asking myself, had it not been for those minute moments, how would I celebrate Black History Month? Reflecting on what it was like to be a child, reminded every day during the month of February about how Harriet Tubman freed the slaves or how Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream. Those stories became a part of me. They influenced my deep connection to my heritage and shaped what I choose to stand firm on.
Equating those times to this “Woke Culture” is me celebrating black history. Creating spaces to have those tough conversations throughout the year is me celebrating black history. Just because it’s history, does not mean that it is old news.
It seems that everyone now wants to celebrate the moment but not the MOVEMENT. An instant viral video or a black out Tuesday should seal the deal. Right? …. Wrong, this is the moment I realized that I was able to change the reality around me by seizing every opportunity to continue advocating for social justice FOR MY PEOPLE.
Redefining my black history, by shaping the future while seizing the present moment.
Black History Month for me is not a time to just march because we want to remember the past, but instead a time to stand on business and pick up the torch that our ancestors held for us. The fire never burns out, nor does the story really change.
The secret to celebrating Black History Month is getting out of the mindset that your dashiki is only meant for February. Singing Negro spirituals and mediating over the words of the Black National Anthem is only the trend for February.
So, when asked, “How do I celebrate Black History Month?” My answer now is and will forever be, simple… I don’t.
While I am standing on the shoulders of black trailblazers and resting on the prayers of my black ancestors, I celebrate black legacy and black history EVERY DAY!
