The first reason why black history month is still need to be celebrated is because of the stereotypes about blacks. Black Americans have been the subject of many stereotypes throughout the years. Some stereotypes are all black people have bad credit, all black women live in section 8 housing, and the famous all black people love chicken and watermelon. Black history month is needed to show the true light for which black people should be shown in and also mitigating the negative image that is displayed everyday to the American public. For example the internet, movies, music, and reality TV displays black Americans as violent, lying, stealing and a lazy culture. The Internet displays a negative image by highlighting fighting videos on sites Facebook. Movies 75% of the time portray black characters as the bad character (Name the last time you’ve seen a black superhero star in a movie). Music videos constantly display black men as misogynist and women as prostitutes. Black history month helps prove that black Americans are more than the subjected to everyday. The second reason why black history month is still need to be celebrated is because young black men and women need the confidence that black history month brings to their lives. Young black men are often told unless you are holding a microphone or dribbling a basketball you will not succeed in life. Young black women are told you cannot amount to nothing but welfare recipients with kids or a video model. Another way black history month builds confidence is with young black men and women it gives historical proof that someone else was in your same predicament maybe even a more challenging circumstance and strived to be the best they could be. For example, Fredrick Douglas was an African American social reformer, abolitionist, writer, and statesman. Fredrick Douglas was born a slave and still managed to educate himself despite …show more content…
A man by the name of Carter G. Woodson created black history week in 1926. The month of February was chosen be cause it is the birthday month of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas. In 1976 Black history wee became black history month. During this time each year black communities had already begun celebrating their birthdays. Woodson created black history month because there was a lack in the historical teachings of black accomplishments in the public school system.by dedicating one month each year, to inform the American public of the accomplishments that black American’s have done in history. For instance getting rid of black history month would essentially start the downward trend of the American public and black American’s being less informed of black history. The school system could also take the teaching of black history out of the lesson plans and ultimately leave society clue less about black history in the