Black History Month Not Eclipsed by the Rainbow

Science says that all colors are contained in black.

It appears that Black History Month has expanded to reflect the rainbow of increasing diversity, yet it has not disappeared, though some question its continuing relevancy.

Black history may not be as vigorously celebrated in Northfield areas schools as it used to be, but area educators are grappling with the problem of sustaining interest in black history, while honoring the cultures of more recent immigrants.  

It must also compete with intensified interest in gender minorities; display window, a hot spot for topics of timely interest, is empty of a Black History Month display, but already booked for a Women’s History Month presentation for March.

“The emphasis these days is on multicultural,” says Olivia Frey, who teaches reading readiness at South Central College in Faribault. “We have a multicultural festival in February that goes on for a week or two. We have speakers, meals reflecting a variety of cultures, such as Latino and Somali.”

“The old bi-racial polarity is no longer as evident—the whole racial scene is far for complex,” says Dr. Michael Fitzgerald, a professor of American history—especially African American—at .

He notes, however, that while attendance in some of his classes has slipped by nearly a third in recent years, there is a significant uptick in interest among other diversity groups. 

“These classes are very important to multicultural kids,” he says.

Michael Green, assistant dean and director of Multicultural Affairs and Community Outreach (MACO) at St. Olaf, concurs. 

“I’ve got Tibetan students who will stand up and tell you how important the Civil Rights Movement was to them,” adding that Native American, Middle Eastern, Indian and other Asians including Hmong and Vietnamese students “strongly identify with the struggle for social justice.

“They see it as a rubric for how every other minority group gets treated, and set the standard for just how badly people can be treated,” says Fitzgerald. “We had a civil war over this. No other group has had that kind of impact on, or as central a role in, the history of this country.  These subjects are important, and they’re not going to go away.”

All this can be a heavy burden for black students, however, some of whom seek to bypass the thorny issue of race by declaring themselves to be multicultural, like Tiger Woods or President Barack Obama.

“A lot of them just want to adopt a racial blindness or neutrality, not wanting to be singled out as just black,” says Dr. Harry Williams, Director of African/American Studies at . “They may have been privileged and not had the black experience—yet. But when you come to a predominantly white institution, you will have experiences that force you to cope with the identity question.”

Ironically, an increasing number of white students are seeking out learning, living and leadership opportunities focused on diversity issues that blend their academic understanding and personal experience in a pragmatic way.

“I had a white student, transferring to St. Olaf, who was adamant about being placed in a diversity house, because she felt it was vital to her future in a global society,” Green said.

Even though students of color comprise only 10 percent of the student body, many members of MACO are white, he says, and some go on to hold office “because they’re interested.”                    

Carleton’s characteristically cognitive approach to Black History Month included a kickoff convocation Friday that featured R. L’Heureux Lewis, a professor of Black Studies at CUNY known for his research on educational inequalities due to the role of race in American society.        

Dr. Marlon Bailey spoke Wednesday on “Engendering Space: Black Queer Performance and Ballroom Culture in Detroit."

There will be other lectures and student dinners.

Dr. Lance McCready, a black Carleton alumnus, will discuss “Black Masculinity in Urban Education” Thursday in the Gould Library Athenaeum.

“We’re having not as heavy an academic presentation this year, but lots of cultural and arts events,” Green said. The month-long recognition kicked off with a movie entitled Introduction to Black History Month.

Other events include more films, performance art presentations, luncheons and banquets, a dance, an Old School Field Day (featuring double-dutch rope jumping and marbles) and a Soul Food Night. 

On Thursday, the Viking Theater presents Nzake Shange’s celebrated choreo-poem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf.

Both colleges recognize the challenges, and strive all year long to keep these issues in the forefront, in light of the ongoing fragmentation of focus and fewer resources committed to the cause.   

Both Carleton and St. Olaf host of ongoing courses, special institutes, lectures and regularly scheduled student discussions throughout the school year. Last month the colleges co-sponsored a special day-long institute entitled “White Privilege 101.” The institute explored such serious but rarely discussed subjects as the everyday dynamics of internalized racial superiority/inferiority and how racism is perpetuated regardless of intentions.

“We have to be sure to keep having these conversations,” said Green.