More Than a Month

On Feb. 28, Professor Whitney Howarth hosted a viewing of African American film maker Shukree Hassan Tilghman's documentary, "More Than a Month."

Timed purposefully with the conclusion of Black History Month, this documentary chronicles the journey and inner turmoil of one man who grew up captivated by a month dedicated to Black History, yet now realizes that this month may, in fact, be a detriment to his culture. 

This documentary is part of a series supported by PBS that brings these provocative films to college campuses in the hopes of sparking dialogue within that college community.

In the beginning minutes of this film, Tilghman introduces the audience to his current mindset that, perhaps, Black History Month should be terminated all together. He sets out to Times Square with a petition in hand, wearing a sign that reads, "End Black History Month, Black History is American History." He asks people on the street to sign his petition and, though he received more signatures than imagined, realized how many people were in opposition to his view.

Although not made evident by the creation of a new theme on MyPlymouth, Black History Month was acknowledged at Plymouth State University. If one paid attention they would see that the diversity window in the HUB is adorned with the familiar faces prominently associated with Black History Month like Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr., along with some Black History facts. Other than these displays however, there are no real activities on campus to help celebrate this month, besides the showing of "More Than a Month."

Why though, is the celebration of a people's history relegated to a month? Prominent actor Morgan Freeman stated with incredulity in an interview in the opening sequence of Tilghman's documentary, "You want to relegate my history to a month?" Freeman continues, "I don't want a Black History Month, my history is American History."

How can anyone disagree with that statement? Relegating one month out of every year to focus on Black History, according to Tilghman, is basically a "way to say you Black people don't matter outside of February and that you're not American." A very bold statement that Tilghman found some did not agree with at all.

Every February, public schools around the nation make it a point to incorporate Black History into their everyday history curriculum. But why is it only in February that this act is carried out? Shouldn't it already be a mainstream component of a modern-day history curriculum, in a supposedly "post-racist" America?

 If only one month out of every year schools teach Black History (which some schools only teach as involving slavery and the civil rights movement), Tilghman says it is like the African American population's history is "like footnotes to American History." If that is how it is viewed in the classroom, Tilghman can only imagine how they are viewed in society. 

Throughout his film, Tilghman visits many esteemed people in the African American community and listens to the reasons they are proponents of Black History Month. He also visits some individuals who make him believe even stronger in his position, people who call the period from January to February the Black History Season in which a great deal of product advertisement is directed at the African American community under the ploy of Black History Month support.

Tilghman dislikes the whole institution. He goes so far as to conduct an experiment trying to prove that the celebration of Black History Month has a negative effect on the African American community, and unfortunately this experiment proves to be inconclusive. However, despite this set back, he continues his research in Virginia, Chicago, Alabama and Pennsylvania, and observes how Black History Month is accepted and celebrated in different parts of the country.

In places like Philadelphia, Tilghman found that a course in African American History is a requirement for graduation in certain districts, but that with public schools across the country, there is a constant battle with the study of history and its textbooks; what gets taught, what doesn't, and from whose point of view it is delivered. These Philadelphia schools seem to have the right idea in their incorporation of African American Studies, but as noted, not all schools run this way.

Tilghman still maintains his view that "having a history month is a way to be recognized." He continues, "If you are no longer in need of a history month, it means you have achieved true equality.

In Tilghman's mind, Black History Month represents that remaining inequality and therefore it can be understood why he would want to do away with it, but at the same time those who wish to keep it in place have good reasoning on their side as well. It is first and foremost a celebration of culture, overcoming hardships and remembering those familiar faces that contributed so much to their cause. 

Tilghman leaves us with this final quote, "The story of history informs us of who we were. How we tell that story conveys who we are." Although the presence and celebration of Black History Month will most likely not dissipate in the near future, Tilghman plans to work towards that goal of incorporating Black History into American History where it rightly belongs, 365 days a year, not just one month out of that.