Celebrating 100 Years of Black History Month
Written and compiled by Charlyn Lapak and Rhys Day, NEMPN Committee Members
This February is the 100th anniversary of Black History Month! In 1915, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History,” founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), and in 1926, he founded the “Negro History Week” on the second week of February, a week which includes the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both days having been celebrated in the Black community since the latter half of the 1800s.
The 1920s were known as “the decade of the New Negro” due to the rising racial pride and consciousness spreading across the US after World War I. As African-Americans migrated to urban centers, an expanding Black middle class became increasingly interested in participating in and learning about Black culture. As early as the 1940s, people in West Virginia began celebrating Negro History Month during the entirety of February. By the late 1960s, Black History Month began to overtake Negro History Week, and in 1976, on its 50th anniversary, ASALH institutionalized the shift to Black History Month. Every president of the US since this date has issued a proclamation endorsing February as Black History Month, regardless of party affiliation, and it remains an incredibly important call to study Black history year-round.
When heritage institutions across the country celebrate Black History Month, it shows guests what values the arts and culture sector wants to stand behind. As dozens of spaces like the Smithsonian and the MET host panels that discuss acclaimed Black figures and display exhibitions made by Black artists, it’s amazing to see how many cultural institutions are involved in showing pride for racial diversity. While creating these types of events are appreciated, it can also fall short when organizations only share these sentiments for one month. In an effort to celebrate 100 years of Black History Month, NEMPN would like to share some ideas on how we can improve and extend these calls for diversity throughout the year within museum spaces.
1. Celebration of major events in Black History or acclaimed Black figures all year-round.
While many arts and culture organizations host Black History events in the form of speaker panels, musical performances, art shows, and exhibitions, many institutions tend to give attention to these subjects only during February. While others have fallen behind on their diversity campaigns, the Philadelphia Art Museum has taken great efforts to allow their works by Black artists to shine. By sharing resources on a compiled list of each Black-made artwork displayed in their permanent collection, to opening a year-long exhibit devoted to Black artists' work– this institution shows their dedication to exhibiting Black history beyond just the month of February.
2. Conscious integration of interactive activities and inclusion of Black specialists within exhibitions or heritage events.
While exhibiting Black-made art or displaying artifacts from acclaimed Black figures can be a great start, the incorporation of co-curation processes and interactive engagement can not only make the events feel more meaningful but give visitors opportunities for critical reflection on what they learned from these celebrations. From community collaboration to hosting craft nights or holding space for Q&As after lectures, interactive events can take many forms. Better yet, these are also opportunities for co-curation with Black specialists and groups. This month, the Mississippi Museum of Art will be hosting an event called “Black Art Now: Through the Lens", co-hosted by a local Black artist and owner of Woodgrain Studio, Christina McField. The event is meant to share a spotlight on Black filmmakers, photographers, and other artists, as well as the current-day forms of Black-made video and picture-based artwork, which will be further discussed with McField, a specialist in the medium. By mixing display with direct engagement, visitors are able to more deeply integrate themselves with the meaning of the art and objects being displayed.
3. Observation of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Hiring and other Institutional Policies
While events like those above are a great way to publicly call for diversity and racial equity, it’s important to actually implement these values within these cultural work spaces and leadership. Though many museums and galleries may host events that feature Black art or history, many instances of historical erasure continue to appear in cultural spaces, often due to the lack of consequence present in policy and overall lack of action from superiors. From tour guides who refuse to discuss controversial histories of slavery to board of directors who are reluctant to share a full picture of history due to fear of backlash– lack of understanding in equity, diversity, and inclusion can lead to work cultures that invalidate real racial issues. If these institutions are willing to celebrate Black History Month, it’s only right that their values aren’t just performative but binding in their constitutions.
Observation of these policies can include:
A campaign to acquire more Black artwork and relevant historical artifacts within collections, and to ensure a specific amount of it is collected and displayed every year.
Building workplace awareness of Black History by removing actions of erasure and discrimination within exhibition wall text, events and tours, as well as other forms of guidelines and constitutions that may allow lack of awareness to form in the institution.
Application of training for racial sensitivity and equity, diversity, and inclusion, for all positions from volunteer, all the way up to the board of directors.
Though the celebration of Black History Month within heritage institutions is a great way to bring awareness, it’s just one of the ways we can continue bringing inclusion to the world of arts and culture. By slowly incorporating ideas like the above, change can be made within cultural spaces, little by little, year-round.
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