I was asked by a colleague to give a talk to Hopkins' Black Faculty-Staff Association this month. I wasn't able to because of time constraints, but I told her that if I did give a talk, it'd probably be titled "Why I Hate Black History Month". Actually, the title I gave her was not safe for viewing. But while I hate black history month, I probably hate the concept of "post-blackness" even more.
Now, real talk, to the extent black artists use "post-blackness" as a vehicle to get out of the "black artist" box I'm with it. Black artists should be able to make their living like any other artist without fear of being ostracized because they don't do "black" art.
But to the extent the term becomes a convenient way for us to dodge a commitment to fight inequality, I think it's "a bad look".
So when the Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle asked me to participate in a debate about the issue, I gladly agreed. Not just because I believe they are one of the reasons I love Baltimore, but because it gave me an opportunity to flesh out my strong opinions against the idea in public. The link below has the entire debate, plus a couple of incredible performances in between. Take a listen. I think I could have defended the "post-blackness" side, I'm glad I didn't have to.
Why do you hate “Black History Month?” In the past, I’ve made the same comment, and today I don’t particularly try to attend any “Black History” events that stuff the February calendar. But I’m now at peace with the fact that many people in our community gear up for “Juneteenth” “MLK Day” “Kwanzaa” and “Black History Month.”
This is from the 60s. Malcolm X and MLK could have read it. Of course that was before the Moon landing.
Black Man’s Burden by Mack Reynolds
http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/2008/08/mack-reynolds-on-africa-islam-utopia-and-progress.html
http://www.feedbooks.com/book/4826/black-man-s-burden
Border, Breed Nor Birth, by Dallas McCord Reynolds
http://www.readbookonline.net/read/44240/93267/
So what should we be doing about technology now? It is curious that double-entry accounting is 700 years old but has any Western nation made it mandatory in high schools?
http://toxicdrums.com/economic-wargames-by-dal-timgar.html
From the Archives: Is Blackness History? http://t.co/BbD0JrZj