Black History Month

It’s popular these days to debate the merits of Black History Month, but, says contributor Avis Jones-DeWeever, though African-American history is inching its way into the mainstream with movies like 12 Years a Slave and The Butler, this time provides a space to engage in sustained study and reflection on the contributions of a people. Instead of stirring controversy over whether or not to celebrate it, she says, use the time to discover something new about a history that for so long has been diminished.