More than just a month
In the Midwest, February is often bitterly cold. Temperatures plummet, snow blankets the ground, and darkness falls early. It has always made me chuckle that, during this time—when the world around us is frozen and dim—we celebrate being Black.
Of course, for most of us, Blackness is not confined to a single month. It is who we are. It runs through our veins, evident in our skin, but even deeper in our thoughts, our actions, and our spirit. There is no singular way to be Black. The vastness of the diaspora defies classification, and so, why would anyone expect us to only celebrate for one month? We honor our brilliance every single day.
That brilliance shines in sports, music, and the arts, but also in science, technology, intellectual thought, and countless other fields. Yet, there is a deliberate effort to diminish the contributions and value of people of color in this country. Access to education, opportunity, and resources is being restricted under the guise of “meritocracy” and “fairness.”
Still, in the face of policies designed to alienate and divide, the power of Black history and excellence has only grown louder. The backlash against inclusivity has not gone unnoticed—it has been met with resistance, defiance, and undeniable presence. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was a testament to this. Some didn’t understand it. Some dismissed it. But the conversation it sparked was undeniable. Social media was flooded with debates, explanations, and celebrations. That performance—on the biggest stage, during Black History Month, with an all-Black cast of dancers, and a Black quarterback named MVP—was about more than music. It was a declaration.
Being Black in this country is a constant push against contradiction. We are told what we can and cannot do, how we should and should not exist. The barriers are real, the disparities undeniable. And yet, we rise. We succeed—not just as entertainers and athletes, but as scholars, innovators, and leaders. We continue to push our children forward, even when the odds are stacked against them.
Because we are Black History.
In the face of those odds, our brilliance refuses to be dimmed. The darkness that seeks to overshadow us instead wraps us in love, making us shine even brighter. So Happy Black History Day—today, tomorrow, and every day after that. Because it is more than just a month.