| It is Black History Month! This month we see a myriad of facts and figures about the Blacks in America, much of which will be focused on American Descendants of Slaves (#ADOS).
Recently, when talking to a former Board member, I expressed disappointment about not being invited to give a keynote for Black History Month. Her advice was to post on Twitter that I was available. She added that many prominent Black folks have declined invitations to speak at events associated with Black History Month as a way of conveying their view that Black History is American History and should not be relegated to a single month. That is, ask them to speak at events any time during the year, not just the 28 days in February.
This isn’t new. Black History is American History has long been the decry of African Americans who understand that American History has been shaped by the contribution of #ADOS Americans.
Our conversation got me thinking about how I decide on content for WISER and, in the past, my Economics of Sport, Race and Policy course. In February, I’d focus on Blacks; in March, Women; in May, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, etc.
Our conversation caused me to question my definition of an inclusive society. Can we be an inclusive society if we only “celebrate” marginalized populations during “set-side” months?
Probably not.
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