Black History Month has officially arrived, and is celebreated through the month of February. Black History Month is an annual celebration, centered on a “celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history,” according to History. From fashion, civil rights, literature and more, Black history and culture have shaped society today in various ways. Being able to recognize the achievements and sacrifices of those before is especially important with respect to reflection on the efforts and resilience of the Black community throughout history.
To begin the celebration of Black History Month, The Herald is exploring the power of Black media throughout history. In addition, The Herald is also sharing some ways that readers can get involved and celebrate this February as well.
When it comes to media, the Black community created various platforms for more representation on-screen, to share stories, to educate and to entertain. In 1827, the first African-American print was published in New York City, called Freedom’s Journal, according to Kelly Fazilleau, in the OpenEdition Journal. Before this, many Black newspapers didn’t survive long due to finances and the Black community kept each other informed through word of mouth, mainly through the Church, according to Fazilleau in the same article. The publication included information about important Black innovators, Black wedding listings, Black advertisements and more. After the Civil War, 24 Black publications were created, the most prominent being The North Star, which was read by the President and members of Congress. The source continues to describe how, at the time, White press didn’t include much news on what was happening to the Black community such as murders, bombings and other hate crimes. Instead, Black press was how the Black community stayed alert and informed about the devastation happening to the community. After World War I, there were over 500 Black publications that included resources for Black Americans including but not limited to routes safe to travel on, where segregation took place, and where it was safe to shop, according to Fazilleau.
Black media also helped shape the way the Black community was viewed. According to the NAACP, in the 19th century, Fredrick Douglas was the most photographed Black American. According to the source, this was intentional, as Douglas was aiming to remove the misrepresentation of Black Americans in the media from the way Hollywood and other publications depicted Black Americans. The NAACP Hollywood Bureau also worked to change the depiction of the Black community from rooted in crime and poverty to a flourishing community rich in culture. Studies done by the NAACP showed that the way Black Americans were depicted in the media had a huge psychological impact on viewers, especially Black viewers. “It can wear one down just as much as living in poverty or being exposed to community or family violence,” MEE Productions quoted in NAACP’s “Guidelines for the Depiction of Black Life in Media.”
In 1970, Essence Magazine was created. Essence was a lifestyle magazine for Black women and created a space of representation in a society where Black womanhood was underrepresented, according to Jancita Saffold. Black women were also overshadowed during the civil rights and feminist movements, as highlighted by a Smithsonian article which stated that, “Though Black women played crucial roles organizing and leading efforts in the fight for equal rights, many mainstream histories ignore their contributions.” Essence serves as an “archive” for Black womanhood featuring content from literature, music, beauty, health and more.
Black media continues to be an important part of the Black community today. From music, visual arts, literature, and fashion, the creations of Black visionaries play an important role in the representation and culture. Today, there is more representation of the Black community in mainstream media and platforms as a result of the efforts made by those throughout history. Black media created a safe space for a marginalized community. There are several ways readers can celebrate Black creativity this month by indulging in Black media and arts. Below are some recommendations and events happening on and around Meredith’s campus. Find more information about Black History Month and events by visiting Meredith’s Black Student Union Instagram, who advertised their Open Mic Night. In addition, you can learn more about the Symposium on Afrofuturism and Diasporic Scholarship on the North Carolina State University (NCSU) website. Lastly, to learn more about the African American Symposium, have a look at the Friends of COR Museum Instagram page.
By Enfiniti’ Jones, Staff Writer
