By: Taylor Battle (’19), Staff Writer
Black History Month has grown since its inception as a month long celebration in 1976. This month is based upon the notions of celebrating black culture and advancing black society.
The ideals of MLK, Malcolm X, and the Black Panther Party were key in the formation of the early years of Black History Month.
In the beginning stages of the holiday, the black community utilized political movements to bring attention to issues that were still affecting the black community. Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party both believed that the black community could help themselves from within. This idea was put in place so that the outside world could understand the power of a united people against oppression.
Overtime, the holiday began to include involvement from celebrities.
Stars that were influenced by the ideals of the Black Panthers and Malcolm X, such as NWA, The Notorious B.I.G, and Tupac, brought national attention to the continued struggle for the majority of the black community.
They helped bring the struggle of the black community from semi obscurity into the mainstream pop culture scene using music. The unique thing about this is the impact their music had. Their songs were not heard by only black people, but by almost everyone in the U.S.
These artists proved that black history doesn’t only have to be taught in classrooms, it can be taught in a unique attention grabbing way. With songs such as “Brenda’s Got a Baby” and “F*** tha Police,” these artists shed light on the everyday lives of blacks in their communities who experienced constant injustice and lack of opportunities.
In March 1991, racial tensions boiled over with the public beating of Rodney King, which sparked outrage within the black community and caused riots in LA.
After the progress the black community had made in the sixties and seventies, this event in black history seemed like a setback to a period a hundred years earlier.
In recent years, the black community has continued to struggle against senseless acts committed against its members. This was seen with death of Trayvon Martin in 2012, as well as the continuation of cultural appropriation and racist slurs.
2016’s Black History Month included grandiose statements that were made to, once again, bring the black community together as MLK, Malcolm X, and the Black Panther Party did.
Some of the most popular celebrities are using their status to shed light on controversial issues in the black community. Beyoncé used her Super Bowl halftime show to showcase black female solidarity and, at the same time, give an amazing salute to the Black Panthers. Kendrick Lamar’s performance of “The Blacker the Berry” stirred up many feelings of pride within members of the black community, as it took the audience on a short journey through black history.
The evolution of Black History Month isn’t about changing the ideals and methods of the early leaders for the advancement of the community. Instead, it is about carrying their ideas into a contemporary time period to make a statement of change and hope within and outside of the black community. By preserving the past, we will be able to save the future.
