Black History Month conjures up all kinds of thoughts and ideas about what exactly this celebration entails.
Stories from the past. Awareness of past and present issues and injustices. Appreciation of a unique culture.
The list goes on. The possibilities are endless. And as long as these ideas remain progressive and forward thinking, they are all correct. They are all worthy.

Which is why we are somewhat troubled with any suggestion that Black History Month is irrelevant. Or unnecessary. Or outdated.

To be clear, any educationally-driven exhibit, that draws attention to unfounded discrimination in our society, is worthy of our appreciation and must be sustained. These awareness initiatives almost always result in positive change.

The very creation of Black History Month itself facilitated change. When Dr. Carter G. Woodson first suggested that black history was worthy of a month’s study and appreciation in 1926 (then called Negro History Week but had its name changed in 1976 under the Ford administration), academics had barely even began to study such topics. Existing racial tendencies notwithstanding, blacks existed in literature almost only in the context of social standing, while success stories went largely untold.

Black History Month ensures that those stories of freedom and success continue to be told.

Critics contend that the appreciation of black history should not just be limited to the scope of one month’s worth of study; that rather, black history should be a universal and year-round area of focus. While we can’t help but agree with this contention that awareness should exist universally, we should also consider the result of Woodson’s original initiative: a specific and timely focus of black history helped bring the culture into the mainstream spotlight.

Perhaps, by continuing to devote the month of February to black history, we can help further develop his intentions: to educate and make sure that these issues are never forgotten.

Before we criticize the month entirely, let’s at least appreciate its intentions.

The fact that racism, homophobia and prejudice still exist on this very campus should suggest that we still need campaigns such as Black History Month to further educate our society. The fact that people even suggest that Black History Month is simply propaganda is appalling. For all the progress that we have made, there’s still a long way to go.

Black History Month ensures that black history itself is not swept under the rug and is appreciated for what it is: remarkable, worthy and significant.

Black History Month should not be something that elicits criticism. Black History Month is about appreciation, awareness and education, and it will always be relevant and necessary.