Every month is white history month
February 29, 2016
February is coming to a close, as is Black History Month. Each year, this recognition of accomplishments never goes without some dissent regarding the minority focus. This year, the opposition came from a cousin of mine in the form of a Facebook meme and one comment supporting his view. The meme read, “I forgot, when is White History Month?” and a commenter’s response of “HA!! That’d be too racist!”
The posed question is facetious and rhetorical. It is aimed to be a satirical representation of these ideologues’ opinion that Black History Month is in some way unfair to them and unnecessary, due to the absence of a similar observance for white people: the majority.
The commenter believes they are being intellectually sarcastic by saying it would be racist and thereby mocking those who feel this is true. They think they are illustrating hypocrisy in society, or a double standard for these two races. However, there are many issues with this way of thinking.
To respond to this misinformed post, I will address it as if the question was genuine.
There was one other comment to this Facebook post, and it truly begins the conversation of why we don’t have a White History Month. The person wrote “every day of the year.” White history is celebrated significantly more than that of its minority counterparts. It’s more frequently read in books and textbooks, print and digital media, heard in songs and other forms of creative expression.
White history is not dedicated a specific month because it’s not underrepresented. Minority history is marginalized and significantly less represented in entertainment, education and many other realms therefore this month is dedicated to remedy some of that under-recognition.
Recognition during this month is not special, extra attention. It is not racist. It is attempting to alleviate one aspect of the equality gap for one minority group. It would, in fact, be racist to have a White History Month when white history already dominates nearly all fields of society. If this annual observance were to exist, it would shift even more focus to the dominant group from the minorities and further contribute to racial inequality.
So, I guess the better question is not why don’t we have a White History Month, but why is the history of minorities being so underrepresented?
We celebrate white history every day of the year, yet some white individuals are upset with this designated month to shed light on African American accomplishments that are often overlooked. This issue goes back to the same root of why some people advocate All Lives Matter in protest against Black Lives Matter.
These protesters fail to recognize that saying black lives have significance does not mean other lives don’t matter. This movement is trying to equalize that importance. They aren’t pushing that black lives matter more, but that they matter too and should be represented. This is reflective of the same basis of why Black History Month exists: to recognize the significance in depreciated historical achievements.
Ectropy • Mar 29, 2022 at 1:17 am
If White History Month is indeed every month, then why am I punished by my allegedly White privileged society for advocating for White interests? Wouldn’t a society that genuinely celebrates White history, be happy to help me advocate for White interests? Why is it that during White History Month, (which is every month according to you) I am not permitted to celebrate it like Blacks celebrate Black History Month? But rather, when I merely ask a question about a White History Month, people like you with privilege and authority (which I didn’t grant to you) come out of nowhere to tell me why I can’t have one, while simultaneously (and contradictorily) claiming that I already have more than one.
The truth is (and you know this) is that NO month is White History Month, and in fact, every month is Anti-White History Month. No amount of history is celebrated as White history. Whites have made positive achievements and contributions to the world (perhaps even the most contributions), but they do not receive positive recognition by this system AS Whites. On the contrary, the only time that White history is recognized as such is when the events in question have negative connotations for Whites (slavery, Jim Crow, Indian removal). And this kind of critical history is becoming the predominant narrative. How could this be if every month is White History Month and thus a celebration of Whiteness?
It is time indeed to recognize the positive contributions of White people in history as WHITE contributions and to celebrate the presence of White people on the American Continent. And considering that our achievements are so great, we may indeed need every month on the calendar in order to fully celebrate it all.
While no month is White history month, EVERY MONTH OUGHT TO BE.
Jesse • Mar 9, 2021 at 3:24 am
Honestly I’m saddened by how upset people are about this question. But not because I understand their point of view.
“if y’all just treated us like human beings 200 years ago” My dude, none of us were alive 200 years ago, don’t blame living people who had nothing to do with what happened to people that aren’t you. Unless I’m mistaken you weren’t alive 200 years ago. (Yes I realize your comment was from 2020).
“Every month is white history month” is the most clinche and repeated statement by every black person ever. No, no it’s not. In fact, since black lives matter starting ripping cities apart, taking over entire area’s of cities, crushing black and white business owners entire life’s work indiscriminately in a so called effort to protest racial injustices that 100% had nothing to do with any of the people’s lives which were ruined by the complete lack of consideration for anyone at all, all I’ve hear about is blacks.
Obama was in the freaking white house as the president, I thought for sure that would be a clear indication that the majority of the country wasn’t racist. 52% in 2008, 51% in 2012 and that’s just assuming that the people who DIDN’T vote for him didn’t honestly think the alternative candidate was just a better choice without race as a consideration. Two elections in a row he won. If you’re the minority (African Americans make up roughly 13.4% of the US population Reference: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/IPE120219) then surely that means that “White people” were voting for him. Much to my surprise it actually ended up being exactly the morale boost necessary for black lives matters to stand up and protest racism by being racist themselves.
All the news I see is about blacks, not just in February, but literally every month. “Blacks” get their own month as a way to highlight the accomplishments of their ethnicity and I’m okay with that. But for you to say that Every month is White history month or that Celebrating white history month would only be a means to highlight racial injustices, or to point out how many slaves white people once owned, would mean that from now on during black history month it’s also necessary for you to highlight the current event atrocities that the race has been committing everywhere. Having rallies and spreading a contagious disease without consideration for others. Yanking white people out of their vehicles and beating them unconscious (Reference: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-portland-protests/portland-man-arrested-in-beating-near-black-lives-matter-protests-idUSKBN25H1ES). While we’re at it, here’s a list of black serial killers we should bring up for no reason at all https://www.ranker.com/list/black-serial-killers/ranker-crime
The point is that when whites say they want a White History Month, they mean to celebrate accomplishments and positive things contributed to society by people of their own ethnicity. It’s no more intended to downplay black history, or the negative things that were done by our ancestors, than black history month is intending to downplay our accomplishments and positive contributions to society. Even now it’s common place to have slaves in other countries. Here’s a list in case you’re interested https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-that-still-have-slavery
Can the economical impact be traced backwards and consider that it could potentially be effecting you now? Sure, potentially. But I’ve never owned a slave. I joined the Army and earned everything I have to this day through the effort of myself. I served right along side of people of all nationalities, race, and religion. That opportunity was extended to any American citizen that met the standards of the military and was willing to sacrifice their life for their country. Through it I was able to buy a small piece of land back in my home state, which I moved to when I got out of the military. While I was in the military a majority of my superiors were NOT white. Each of those men and women that I knew drove nice vehicles, had nice homes, some even businesses outside of the military. Sometimes you have to have the courage to pick yourself up and risk everything to make a difference in your own life. Blaming something that happened to people before you on the people that are here with you won’t make racism go away. If anything it will fuel a fire that will continue to burn for decades to come due to the racism portrayed upon us as if we had something to do with it.
The majority want to just get along. Stop the hate.
DeAndre Jackson Brown • Mar 8, 2021 at 5:46 pm
1. I’m mixed race. White mom, / white side of the family tree and black dad / black grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, teammates, classmates, co-workers of all races.
2. It IS true that a higher % of young black men commit crimes and go to jail and prison in America even in 2021.
3. It’s also true that black youth grow up without a father at home in a 2 parent family than any race in America.
4. It is true that more white people are shot by police, killed by police and die without so much as a mention on the news because it does not fit the liberal media narrative. My white uncle was shot and killed in 2015 by a black cop. It never even made the local papers.
5. George Floyd was a sad case that was horrible for everyone to watch and it divided America worse than ever because of the way it was portrayed than if there was NO video, or if the cop was black and George was a white drug addicted criminal with Fentanyl in his system and in his mouth and had just been sitting in the back of the patrol car and died in route to the jail for committing a crime.
6. Black slaves were sold by black people to those from several countries of many skin colors. There is not currently 1 living American black person that was a slave, had a parent or a grandparent that was a slave, so to focus on what someone else’s great great grandparents did in a society a hundred and fifty years or 200 years ago or 2000 years ago and to identify it as the main factor that makes you WHO you are and defines YOU is really ignorant and pointless. It is no different than saying: “you’re great great grandfather was a serial killer or a child molester 200 years ago, therefore, since my great great grandmother was raped and murdered by him, YOU owe ME a living, and I deserve more rights because of my ancient family history.
I am the great great great grandson of a former slave. They were emancipated and became a farmer and business person and a success in life. I’m sure they faced a lot of negative and adverse situations directly in the immediate time and for years until they passed away. Does their success, their slavery, their hardships, their pain, their triumphs in life and or even their eventual death, no matter how it happened back in 1907 define ME? No. If my dad was a college grad and a professional athlete (he was) or an alcoholic and a drug addict that became a drug dealer who shot and killed someone and went to prison when I was 9 (he did) define who I am or will be? Did his upbringing and talent make me disadvantaged? advantaged? talented? smart? stupid? No. We ALL define ourselves and our own journeys in life and I don’t choose to be a victim to a crime that wasn’t a crime 200 years ago, no matter how wrong it was. Many blacks in American owned black slaves. Most pimps in America today are black men, trafficking and exploiting young black girls and even white girls. Most black men killed by guns or violence die at the hands of other black men and still I refuse to be a victim to the statistics even though most of the statistics ignore the facts. Facts truly don’t care about feelings or narratives. They are simply black and white as am I. Breonna Taylor was never proven to be involved in the drug deals of her ex-boyfriend that had packages of drugs delivered to her home days before the late night raid that ended her life. She may have not even known how he made his money or had any knowledge of it. That wasn’t a pre-planned murder of a person. It was bad police work, a botched search warrant raid by dumb cops that should be held accountable for the actions they took.
In the past 5 years, although 88% of violent crimes using guns were committed by black men, they were shot and killed by cops at rate far lower than whites, hispanics, and even asians. Since we as blacks onlhy make up 12% of the nation, it seems disproportionate that it’s not much higher. Yet, the news and social media only always want to tell us that BLACK LIVES MATTER. Even though the founder of BLM is a convicted terrorist bomber that killed people and the statement in itself is the most divisive of all. What about BLACK LIVES ALSO MATTER or BLACK LIVES MATTER TOO since nobody can say ALL lives matter or any other race can’t say it. HISPANIC LIVES MATTER would be deemed racist because there are more Latin heritage people in the USA. Ok, now you can call me “Uncle Tom” if you disagree. But that would be racist. I’m supposed to keep my opinions to myself if I’m only half black. By the way, I’m not an AFRICAN AMERICAN. I’m an American that happens to be black. We don’t say African Canadians or African Australians. They don’t say “American Africans if you were born in America and move to Africa. Stop with the labels and just be Americans and be PROUD of whatever race or heritage you want to withhout being ashamed to be who you are. White Pride is racist, Black Power is not. Why?
lame dede lame lame • Feb 25, 2021 at 4:29 pm
lame…blind. any segregation is not got at this point and that’s all that you are doing. so what i don’t care about black history, black this black that. im just tired of hearing it. learn and grow up. you think only 1 race suffers. one type of person suffers. how about the Indians, where is there month…this list can go on forever and never really be fair. how about not adding color or races at all. how about just history month. how about stopping all the poor me bull shit and realizing we are all here now and we are on the same boat. so tired of it this dont even deserve and extra effort to to hit shift.
Linda Fontes • Nov 8, 2020 at 1:03 pm
Allen christ has said it all. I agree with him. We all need to just get along and get ride of all the labeling of nationalities. All of us as humans have to evolve for the better and step out of the past.
Alan Christ • Oct 3, 2020 at 5:10 pm
If you keep calling yourself a minority then you will stay a minority , yet what is the definiion of a minority..
know one can tell me. can’t help you are black , so ask yourself , if I could be born any color what would it be ..
and please . there were a 1000 x the amount of white slaves in history. Who the hell do you think built ROME…
We got over it you should to..
and as far as today more white people are killed by police every year than all the other ethic groups combined..
but we don’t go out burning down buildings becouse of it
and would any of this had happened if the officer was of a japanese decent … no
so useing gorge as an excucse to go do bad things becouse of injustice makes everything you think about yourself ..irelavent
Emmanuella Umoh • Sep 15, 2020 at 11:58 am
we as black minorities would not be needing to be doing this right now in 2020 if y’all just treated us like human beings 200 years ago. And I don’t understand how a person can say ‘All lives matter’ when minorities as a black American myself we still don’t have equal rights because of the color of our skin, also because of the fact police target us for being “thug” or “hood” when it is not even the truth and that is one of of the reason George Flloyd died and also Breannona Taylor and many others that have their life taken from them because they were looking “suspicious”. So no you white people will never see white month until black lives matter.
Don • Jun 17, 2020 at 11:18 am
I get why some people are interested in having a “white history month” and I also, get why some white people are very embarrassed of there white history and sick of being reminded of it. After reading a few of these white nationism related articles, I’m starting to get a better understanding of social equity and its impact its having on a more and more multicultural inclusive world.