Anyone feel as I do that "Black History Month" in it's current form should be retired? I have a black Panamanian friend who considers himself an American too and feel cheated that the blacks in Panama who built the Panama Canal are not even included in Black History Month. When he says he is an American he is from Central "America" so that makes him an American too.
Black History Month should be just as frivolous as the other months, and I'm happy that much of the "Achievement" aspect has been toned down. Not that I'm an advocate of ignorance, but it should be taken for granted that Black people are capable and have contributed without scouring the annals of history to find a Black person who might have patented something (especially if it pre-existed) or invented the most trivial item.
Being from the American continent (south, central or north) has absolutely nothing to do with being from the United States of America. American's are commonly associated with people from the U.S, your friend doesn't get to tag along because he is from central America. And secondly "the glory" for the Panama canal belongs with the "White men" who conceived and engineered the building of that canal. So Black men worked on the building of it, so what!!!!! They didn't do anything another group of men couldn't do. It would have been an achievement if Panamanians did it, but they didn't. Because a Black man was employed in the construction of something, doesn't mean him or his "race" is responsible or should take the credit.
