Black History Month: Ignored out of "fairness"?
Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 12:41:42 PM PDT
Every year around this time, I am quite conscious and appreciative of the media's attention on African-American history. (I'm White, myself, but am in a multi-racial family and grew up in a Black community.) We hear soaring historical speeches from civil rights leaders, watch interviews with friends and family of black pioneers who have passed on, read lengthy excerpts from W.E.B. Du Bois and other visionaries, and take a little notice of the contributions from those who, without whom, there would have been no road paved for the genius of their successors.
This February, however, I totally forgot it was Black History Month, until I happened to be chatting with a friend of mine who works for our largest newspaper here. The conversation went something (heavily paraphrased from memory) along the lines of:
Me: "Obama's having a terrific February!"
Him: "Yeah, he's getting mentioned more than anyone else in our news right now -- including Clinton or McCain or even Bush."
Me: "Too bad it's the shortest month."
Him: "That's what they always joked about Black History Month, too, back when we were allowed to write about it."
Me: "Oh! I've been so wrapped up in politics I totally forgot. That's weird."
Him: "Well, I think you'll find all news sources toning down their Black History Month coverage out of fairness to Senator Clinton. It's pretty hard to write the normal stories about King or Parks or Douglass without having it come across as a tacit endorsement of the excitement behind Obama's campaign. How could you listen to those 1960s speeches on TV every day and not think of Obama?"
Me: "Well that doesn't seem right."
Him: "It depends on your point of view. I mean, what if the first part of November happened to be 'Women's History Week' around the time of a close Clinton-McCain election? Wouldn't all the well-timed talk of Susan B. Anthony and other suffragettes seem like a little winking support of Clinton's attempted glass ceiling shatter?"
This is a tough one. Thinking back, it certainly does seem like Black History Month has been mentioned less this year than previous years, which is surprising, considering Obama's candidacy would normally inspire more talk of the struggles and successes of early Black Americans. I suppose J's point about the effect of a "Women's History Week" may be valid, but it still seems awfully odd to reduce coverage of Black History out of respect for "fairness".
It's difficult to find out whether the perceptions of my friend (and, yes, like you, I generally hate unsourced "my friend said" diaries, so don't shoot the messenger) were true on a national mainstream media level. I attempted to do a little research to see if the "less coverage" theory was correct across the board, but my results were inconclusive. Most major newspapers charge membership for searching archives more than a year old (or don't archive at all), and TV/radio coverage is very hard to analyze without extensive transcripts. The New York Times seemed to have mentioned "Black History Month" about the same number of times in the "first two weeks of February" when comparing past years with this one, but that's the only major news outlet I could conclusively check.
I did find some curious things concerning the Clintons, however. In previous years, both Bill and Hillary Clinton have seemed to make a much, much bigger deal about Black History.
In 2007, among other things, Hillary Clinton delivered this statement on Martin Luther King, Jr., commemorated Black AIDS Awareness, introduced a senate resolution honoring the NAACP, and hosted the 7th Annual African American Heritage Celebration.
This year (so far), I can't find any mention of Black History Month on her Senate site at all (compared to many references on previous years), and only the Black AIDS day is mentioned in the 2008 official statements. And, compared to far wordier statements and proclamations from previous years, this year's official 2007 Black History Month release from Clinton is here -- in its entirety:
2/1/2008 -- February is Black History Month and a time when we honor the significant contributions that African-Americans have made to the American culture and way of life. We reflect and pay special tribute to the courageous men and women who through their action and steadfastness opened doors paving the way for future generations. They were true American trailblazers and their efforts made an indelible mark on our great country. Black history is American history and should be celebrated today and every day that we as Americans enjoy the freedoms and the liberties that make us who we are.
(Apparently, Hillary Clinton's campaign computers don't possess a working comma key.)
I also find it amusing how the Clinton Presidential library had an elaborate and varied Black History Month celebration in 2007, featuring weeks worth of exhibits in which they even waived the admission fee! In 2008, they just mention that visitors should check out this ongoing exhibit:
January through May 18, 2008
The Long Struggle: Presidential Actions and African American Civil Rights
This unique exhibit will examine the actions and influences of U.S. Presidents on civil rights issues during a one hundred year period, beginning with President Abraham Lincoln's first administration in 1860 and continuing through the major milestones of the civil rights movement during the 20th Century.
This must-see exhibit will focus on many of the decisions, laws, and acts signed by some of our Presidents and will examine in-depth how these presidential actions impacted the lives of the average African American citizen, both in Arkansas as well as throughout the country.
Good timing, there -- fits perfectly with Hillary's "eh, Dr. King was just a talker -- Johnson was the real hero" rhetoric. ;) (But, no, I'm not suggestions Hillary Clinton controlls the exhibits at her husband's Presidential library -- just found it to be, shall we say, a fortuitous development.)
So, "to the real question"*, has Black History Month gotten a bit less coverage than normal due to the perception that it might "unfairly" help Barack Obama? You tell me. Today's the halfway point of February, after all. So in the meantime, I'll be taking this opportunity to honor that other significant February observance, and send Obama a $25.01 valentine.
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*A reference to W.E.B. Du Bois' The Souls of Black Folk: "To the real question, How does it feel to be a problem? I answer seldom a word." You can listen to a wonderful audio excerpt of this at http://goldenvoice.biz/ -- this is the recording I own, and it's highly recommended.
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