Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 3 February 2000 — Page 2

The Muncie Times, Febuary 3, 2000, page 2

EDITORIAL

Black History Month celebrations are for all races

If it is February then it must be African American History Month. That is the time of the year when we attempt to remember and honor the many accomplishments that people of African descent have made in these United States and around the world. African American history should be included in the full spectrum of U. S. history. That, however, has yet to happen. As long as those who write and document history continue to exclude or ignore the contributions of non-white Americans, there will continue to be a need for these special celebrations. It is sad to acknowledge that even though we are at the beginning of the 21st century and at the beginning of a new millennium, this country continues to wallow in

racist attitudes based on the ludicrous notion that some races are superior to others. We, on the other hand, continue to dream, as the civil rights martyr Dr. Martin Luther Ring Jr. used to that one day all American citizens will be treated equally, without regard to race, color, creed, ethnicity, gender, religion or national origin. That vision remains on a distant horizon. As long as that is the case, there will always be a continuing need for such special occasions as African American History. This holiday started out many years ago as Negro History Week. Then it graduated into Black History Month. Now it has segued into African American History Month. Regardless of the name,

the concept was grounded in the notion that Black Americans had often been treated as if they were separate and apart from other groups. They had never received their just rewards and dues. At some point in the convoluted history of this country, it was the norm for the media to totally ignore blacks and their achievements. Unless they had been arrested or accused of crimes, African Americans were conspicuous by their absence from the nation’s news media. That is no longer the case today. But the stench from that era lingers and often shapes how some people treat African Americans today. When we remain ignorant, deliberately so, about our neighbors we

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MUNCIE TIMES STAFF

Publisher Bea Moten-Foster Editor John T. Lambkun Advertising Bea Moten-Foster and Richard Casey Layout Lament Chandler and Shana Looney Typesetting Kelly Benford and Samantha Overbay

Contributors: Dr. WJ. Duncan, Tabatha A. Tower-Harris, Bea Moten-Foster, Bernice PowellJackson, Dr. T.S. Kumbula, John Lambkun, Judy Mays and Hugh Price. The Muncie Times is published twice monthly at 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, Ind. 47303. It covers the communities of Anderson, Marion, New Castle, Richmond, and Muncie. All editorial correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, The Muncie Times, 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, IN 47303. Telephone (765) 741-0037. Fax (765) 741-0040.

must accept the responsibility that accompanies such ignorance. The onus is on us to turn a new page in history, one that acknowledges the various people that live in this country and their contrib-utions to a multicultural and multiracial United States of America. Regardless of our likes and dislikes, we have to know that this success of this country is due in no small measure to the fact that, in theory, the United States welcomes and embraces people from all races, cultures and walks of life. The present Eurocentric slant is a disgrace and disservice to the country and the world. It fails to acknowledge that the country’s cultural diversity is what distinguishes the United States from most other countries. February, which happens to be African American History Month, should not just be for blacks. It should be for all people regardless of

color, ethnicity or gender. It is time to remember that African Americans have made many contributions to this country, many of which have gone unacknowledged. Often they are seen as great athletes and great entertainers. It’s true that blacks have excelled in football, basketball, baseball, track and field. They have outdone themselves as musicians, dancers and on the big and small screens. But they have also made ever more significant contributions in medicine, law, science, as engineers and inventors. Their successes in these areas, however, have rarely been published or acknowledged. That is why African American History remains so important—it is a chance to give due credit tothese muted or ignored successes.

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