We hope that this February, Black History Month, has been a source for exploration and education in every sector of our community. It’s been a busy time at ARTE NOIR as we’ve opened our doors and gallery to focus on youth expression, which has been enlightening and soul-nourishing.
February, as we know, is the shortest month of the year, and this year, it seems to have been spinning at an unusually high rate of speed. Of course, much of that has to do with the rapid-fire shots of confusion coming from all directions that seem aimed at all of us. But in the midst of all of the denials and rollbacks, February brings us an opportunity to seek new truths about American History.
Philosopher George Santayana is credited with coining the phrase, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Remembering can only occur after acknowledgment, and so much of our history has been hidden. Take, for instance, the 1898 Wilmington, North Carolina massacre. I was today years old when I learned about this incredibly heinous white supremacist act of violence against a Black community seeking to quell what they believed to be “Negro Rule.”
The context in which I consider this piece of history is both long-ago history and current affairs. Think about it this way: Reconstruction was the period of time immediately following the abolishment of slavery. The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 laid out terms by which the rebel states would be readmitted to the Union. Two key provisions guaranteed voting rights for Black men and required ratification by all states to guarantee civil rights for all citizens. Additionally, by receiving voting rights, Black men were able to run for elected office, which they did. Slavery lasted 246 years in America. Reconstruction lasted only 12 years. Jim Crow laws actually overlapped reconstruction and legalized segregation, denying voting rights and access to education for African Americans, among other restrictions directly aimed at keeping freed Blacks subservient and within the underclass.
Cut to current affairs. In 2009, America elected its first Black President, Barack Obama, who handily won two elections, serving a total of 8 years. By 2024, progress toward a diverse, equitable, and inclusive nation had been replaced by an election that would see rollbacks in every area of seeming progress. Only 13 years between the election of the first Black president and the 2024 emergence of Project 2025. History repetition much?
To continue your Black History Month explorations, check out “40 Acres and a Lie,” a compilation of Reconstruction-era documents that shed light on land given to formerly enslaved people and later returned to slave owners.
February also brought the passing of a few individuals whose musical mark is synonymous with Black History. Former member of The Impressions, Jerry “Iceman” Butler, passed this month at 85 years old. The groove provider for the legendary Isley Brothers, Chris Jasper, passed this week as well. And the world is mourning the transition of renowned vocalist and classically trained musician Roberta Flack at age 88.
Ironically, Flack passed on February 24th, on the 52nd anniversary of a 1973 performance in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre. For tickets costing just $5, $6, or $7, thousands packed the theatre to experience her soulful song styling along with organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith.
Black History is 365 because history happens every day. Often, it’s the hidden history that makes us better understand the ways in which we are all connected. We hope this has been a time of becoming better connected and better educated.
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