Black History Month was never given' to Black people, thus, it can never be taken from us

"If you know anything about the basic origins of Black History Month then you know that we weren't given' anything. The question of who owns and authorizes Black History Month holds particular relevance now, in its centennial year, and at a time when efforts to celebrate, preserve, and acknowledge Black people's past in this country are under attack."

"National park placards and special edition postage stamps are undoubtedly important, but they are the result of community organizing about Black history, not the source of it. Black History Month itself has persisted and evolved throughout a century of both subtle threats and openly hostile attacks of white violence and backlash."

"Everyday Black people who drew their strength from knowing about Black heritage understood that what was never given to Black communities can never be taken from them. The beginning of what was originally called Negro History Week can be found in the Black schools and churches of the post-civil war era."

Black History Month's centennial year highlights a persistent myth that Black Americans were given the shortest month by authorities. Historian Jarvis Givens challenges this narrative, emphasizing that Black History Month emerged from community organizing in post-Civil War Black schools and churches, not from government authorization. The month has evolved over a century while facing both subtle threats through commercialization and direct attacks on Black historical education in schools. Official recognition through plaques and stamps represents results of community efforts rather than their source. As efforts to restrict and ban Black history education intensify, the distinction becomes crucial: what was never given to Black communities cannot be taken away by state officials.

Read at www.theguardian.com