For marginalized groups and minorities, history months hold a significant amount of importance. These months aren’t meant to exclude certain groups–they are meant to highlight the journey and fight people had to go through to achieve equal rights.
So what would happen if these months were taken off the calendar and no longer celebrated? Or what will happen?
Jan. 31 Donald Trump signed executive orders against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, meaning history months celebrating LGBTQ, black and women’s history are now being taken off of calendars and no longer being celebrated by multiple different companies, along with federal agencies banning celebrations related to these months.
Removing these months means years of history and recognition are being destroyed, important history and impactful events are being forgotten and the struggles and achievements of those who fought are no longer being celebrated.
These months all have a deep and rich history behind them and are meant to celebrate inclusion and progress.
Black History Month occurs during the month of February. It was first celebrated in 1926, started by Carter G. Woodson, after years of renaming and decision-making. It first started as only a week to celebrate, but eventually was extended into a month.
This month was made to celebrate the progress and history made by the community after the abolishment of slavery. It was a time for remembering the hardships people had to go through, and how they overcame them, much like Women’s History Month and Pride Month.
Women’s History Month also started out as just a week in 1978, and it started as a celebration in Santa Rosa, California Pride Month started as marches on the one year anniversary of the Stonewall riots.
Women’s History Month wasn’t created to exclude other genders, it was created to acknowledge women’s suffrage and celebrate the process women have gone through to get equal rights.
Pride month wasn’t created to exclude people who are straight or cisgender, but to celebrate love and individuality, and recognize the hardships these people experienced in history.
These months being removed from calendars and no longer recognized as holidays is detrimental to marginalized groups and the celebration of their history. The federal government is meant to represent the people, but by erasing history months, they look less and less like the people they represent.
