As February comes to a close, we say goodbye to this year’s Black History Month. If you’re on social media, you’ve seen posts each day from friends and organizations highlighting important contributions made by the Black community to our country. For some, these posts serve as a good reminder of the integral role that Blacks have played in the evolution of the United States, and of the inextricable legacy of race and racism we share as a nation. For others, it provides new information that might pique their curiosity to learn more. For example, I’m glad to be reminded of one of my sheroes, the writer Octavia Butler, and the impact her work had on me during a time when I struggled with my own identity and sexuality. And I am still learning – I had never heard of Pauli Murray, a “black, queer, feminist legal trailblazer.” For me, Black History Month is a special time to focus intentionally on honoring the countless Black individuals who have been hugely important to our society, especially as an effort to combat the marginalization of their legacies.
Recent events, however, have sparked an interesting discussion about whether we should consider instead a Black Future Month, a time to speculate, plan and dream about a radically bright future of African Americans in our country. The idea has likely been considered before, but there is something potent about this concept’s resurgence in the current context of race relations in this country. As more and more people come to understand that our nation’s systems and institutions – most, if not all, aspects of public life – are inherently racialized, the question of the Black Future is even more salient.
But, if we adopt Black Future Month, should we abandon the idea of Black History Month entirely? Luckily, it doesn’t have to be an either-or situation. Our shared history informs the present, and it must shape the future. Black History Month helps educate us more deeply about the contributions of the Black community so often overlooked in history books. More importantly, all allies must acknowledge that the responsibility of educating ourselves lies squarely with us. The weight of our ignorance should not be an additional burden on our Black brothers and sisters.
Education is the first step to a much larger end goal, i.e., achieving real racial equity in this country. Since the decisions from Ferguson and New York, the civic sector has been grappling with the question of whether we are seeing the beginnings of a movement, or if racism is so normalized in our society that recent engagement represents a moment of awareness that will wane. Given the consistent and ongoing protests across the country, it seems unfair to call this anything but a movement. But if we abandon history, we risk our future. Civil obedience and direct action were both fundamental strategies employed in the Civil Rights Movement. And foundations played an important, albeit small, role in supporting groups such as SNCC, CORE and the SPLC, among others.
Now is the time for philanthropy to step up and fund the organizations and groups working towards racial equity at the grassroots level. And we must never forget the roles that advocacy and community organizing play in achieving policy wins that benefit those who remain marginalized. Foundations have the resources to support both grassroots and grasstops efforts that seek systemic reform that dismantles the embedded racism in our country’s governing institutions and policies. Mindful of our history and hopeful about our future, a philanthropic commitment to racial justice would be a boon for us all.
Niki Jagpal is senior director of research and policy at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). Follow @NCRP on Twitter.
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