It’s February, the shortest month, and also the birth month of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. For at least two of these reasons, it is the month for black history in the United States.
February 2024 is at minimum the 56th Black History Month. You see, the first such Month took place at Kent State from Jan 2 to Feb 28 in 1970, a 58-day period that I am tempted to call two months. In 1976, it was made a United States National Thing by the power of a white man called President Gerald Ford.
Whether Ford also used his white power to clip off the month of January, or that was done earlier at a place like Kent State, I have not been able to discover. That means I cannot be sure how many Black History Months have taken place so far. I can only say that
56 is the minimum: two months in 1970, plus one month each for 1971–2024,
61 is the maximum: two months each for 1970–1975, then one month each for 1976–2024.
I have titled this post “56th” to be conservative. But let’s not drag politics into it!
2024 is a leap year, though, so I must address the elephant in the room: the 29th of February is not a “handout”! It is numerical outreach, plain and simple. It increases February’s representation of prime numbers by a much-deserved eleven percent. And we’re only doing it once every four years—really a mere 97 times every 400 years—so get over it.
Sticklers may want to include the 44 occurrences of Negro History Week, the second week of February (Lincoln’s and Douglass’ birth week) from 1926 to 1969. I suppose that gives us another eleven equivalent Februaries, in a period containing eleven leap years, so do with that what you will.
No Representation Without Calculation
Even if February were a normal-sized month, it is still only one of twelve, or 8.3% of the year. That unjustly under-represents the black population, which is 13.6% of the United States. To make matters worse, the factor of this under-representation (8.3/13.6) is very close to three fifths, which ought to have an ominous ring to any student of U.S. Constitutional history. Fixing this would require a seven-week Black History Month, perhaps Feb 1 through Mar 21… or Jan 2 through Feb 19, making Kent State’s original idea look almost sensible.
However, the U.S. Census Bureau muddies the waters with the following:
The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2022, making [sic] it the nation’s largest racial or ethnic minority — 19.1% of the total population.
—U.S. Census Bureau
If this leads you to wonder why Hispanic History Month is not the headliner of the History Months, these facts may help:
“Hispanics may be of any race” according to the Census Bureau, overlapping black, white and other racial categories,
“Hispanic” literally means “of Spain” but in common American usage refers to people of Central and South America,
Hispanics in the Western Hemisphere suffered from Spanish colonialism but were less widely enslaved,
Hispanic Heritage Month is also a National Thing, if less well known than Black History Month.
Our democracy has plenty of other minorities, but only the largest get a History Month. We cannot be bothered with the small ones!
Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
The schools are spending this month inspiring our youngsters with black achievement. Keep up by studying the following history-making black figures, whom are sure to be included:
Thomas Sowell
A leading American intellectual whose diverse background includes
growing up in poverty, then becoming a world-renowned scholar,
dropping out of high school, then earning degrees from Harvard and Columbia,
spending ten years as a dedicated Marxist, then contributing academically to free-market economics,
writing extensively on the history of slavery and black and Western cultures.
Such a model of diversity is surely on the tip of the tongue of anyone teaching black history!
Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality? - book by Thomas Sowell
Thomas Sowell, Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution
Daryl Davis
Has single-handedly eliminated more KKK members than any other activist, politician, or government program. He has over 200 Klan robes from Klansmen who met him, saw that he was just like them, then quit the Klan, and handed him their robes.
His phone must be ringing off the hook this month!
This amazing man can barely talk for five minutes without making someone’s head explode, and it is hard to predict whose head it will be.
He also can’t use the word “discover” properly in a sentence, which makes my head explode.
“After threats and outrage led N.J. theater to cancel a conference on racism, free speech advocates meet in Philly,” Philadelphia Inquirer
Antifa hates Daryl Davis more than the KKK does. He makes their heads explode.
Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America - documentary about Daryl Davis
Clarence Thomas
The senior living black justice on the United States Supreme Court since 1991. This historic achievement is surely turning heads at your youngster’s teacher’s union!
His legendary tribulations while being appointed to the Court were a model of perseverance in the face of humiliating smears by a racist senator known for venal, corrupt behavior and high-tech lynching.
If a black man called you a high-tech lyncher, how would the media handle it?
a. They would smear you,
b. They would smear him,
c. It depends on his Constitutional jurisprudence.
“Don’t forget Justice Clarence Thomas in Black History Month celebrations,” USA Today
“In remembering the legacy of extraordinary black Americans, why does Clarence Thomas always go ignored?”
Created Equal: Justice Thomas in His Own Words - documentary about Clarence Thomas
“Cobra, cobra!” - when you can’t unsee a high-tech lyncher
Morgan Freeman
Highly acclaimed actor who has appeared in many Hollywood movies and played many historical characters. Your youngster’s teacher probably adores him but might not have seen this clip:
Stop talking about it.
—Morgan Freeman
That’s two lefties and two righties, for anyone keeping score, which makes this post unbiased. Numbers don’t lie!
Notes
Black History Month, Wikipedia
Leap year, Wikipedia
“Leap day occurs in each year that is a multiple of 4 (except for years evenly divisible by 100, but not by 400)” — this makes 97 leap years every 400 years.
US Census QuickFacts
“19.1% Hispanic or Latino… Hispanics may be of any race”
Hispanic Heritage Month: 2023, US Census Bureau
“The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2022, making [sic] it the nation’s largest racial or ethnic minority — 19.1% of the total population.”
What a strange category, this “largest racial or ethnic minority,” when “Hispanics may be of any race.” Shouldn’t they just call Hispanics the “largest ethnic minority” and blacks the “largest racial minority”? The U.S. Census Bureau should schedule a meeting with itself to iron that out.
This Wikipedia page will keep the meeting going until all the sandwiches are gone:
Hispanic and Latino Americans, Wikipedia