Keith Reed
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Black History Month has always been something that has filled my heart with joy. I hear of the mostly white population and their contributions to society on the daily basis. The black voice and the image is one the most underrepresented in media and other outlets. This should not be up for debate, seeing as race relations are incredibly unfavorable worldwide.

I am a frequent user of Tumblr. Much of everything on there is drivel, but there was a startling question raised, “Why is there no white history month?” I am not going to field the responses here, but they were mortifying and borderline incoherent. Opening any newspaper, magazine, and turning on any television, I can guarantee that nine times out of 10 there would not be someone African American on the screen. Being African American, there are disadvantages that I face based solely on my skin color. I try to not let this affect me, but I cannot help but think about them when I am the only minority in many of my classes.

On Jan. 22, the Academy announced the Oscar nominees and the group lacked people of color. This was the second year in a row this has happened. The general public responded with the hashtag “OscarSoWhite” and celebrities, who are prominent voices for the African American community, took to social media to publicly protest the Oscars. This only sparked a national conversation about award shows and the lack of diversity. On that same day, the Academy announced that there would be changes to the membership, governing bodies, and its voting members to make it more diverse. This looks like affirmative action on the part of the Academy, but time will tell, because it plans to double diverse members by 2020.

And on Feb. 6, Beyoncé to surprised the public again by dropping a new song and video. In the video, it is a reaffirmation her pride and love for her blackness. This video has very vivid and controversial imagery. It depicts Beyoncé on top of a submerged police car, and there was a line of cops and a young African-American boy dancing in front of them with the words “Stop killing us” on the wall.

I personally took no offense with the video because I am a fan of hers. She also performed at Super Bowl 50 with Coldplay and Bruno Mars. There was heated public discourse, because many felt like the song was flaunting her blackness and turning the Super Bowl into a spectacle.

Aversely, many people watch the Super Bowl mainly for the commercials or the halftime show. The halftime show is just what it is, a show, and that is what she delivered to us. People in the black community felt like she was “conveniently black,” which mean she used Black History Month and her blackness to promote her music. I feel like this should not be up for debate. If we keep tearing those who are the voice to the voiceless, then who is going to speak for us? She is doing something productive and creative, and whining about her is not getting people anywhere.

Black History Month is needed to remind the people of color and others of the important contributions that African Americans have made to the world. The media are making big strides in becoming more diverse, but they are still an overwhelmingly whitewashed topic. There is still more work to be done with other people of color I am pleased with these new initiatives.