How do you observe, center and respect a history that isn’t your own? That is a question that white people have to ask themselves as we observe Black History month, now that we are in February.

The opportunity to center black history in America has never been more urgent than it is now. And Black History Month has become a very big deal, showing up in museums and libraries, as well as in marketing campaigns and advertisements. You know something has become a crucial and important part of the culture when it starts showing up in commercials and magazines.

The history that we have access to has also never been more varied and developed than it is now: we have wonderful feature films and documentaries, events, books and podcasts that all center on black history. We also have expressions of blackness that are not focused on marginalization and violence––you can spend a very thoughtful black history month learning exclusively affirming histories and expressions from black communities and creators. There are so many ways to engage and learn.

But one of the complex dimensions of being an American is finding ways to participate in identities that are not our own. And being white during black history month compels white folks to take their own racial identity seriously, and especially how the history of blackness in America has been oppressed by the project of whiteness.

So how can a white person thoughtfully observe black history month? I think there is no end to how you could do so. But I also think any version of it will involve this basic logic: by making the observance and centering of black history in our own experience, we make that centering part of our own personal history. We can share that with our family and close friends, and as a result we can create habits and traditions that become part of our individual histories, so that centering black history becomes part of who we are.

Finding meaningful ways to connect and participate in one another’s lives by negotiating the difficult, complex and oppressive histories that have shaped our identities is a very tough part about being an American. Something we as UUs can do is model how to find connection by approaching this month with purposeful courage and hopeful intentionality.

Sometimes it is hard to tap into our spiritual selves or find time to nurture our creativity and intellectual curiosity. Here is a section that reflects on some nourishing materials from around the web and related media channels in order to get us thinking, get us feeling, and get us reflecting on the lives we are living in this big world. **Some Adult/Mature Themes May Appear in Links and Other Attached Material**

–––––––––––––––

Allan T. Georgia, MDiv, MTS, PhD

Share this post: