Black History for White People

by Dot Killian

Every year around the middle of January there is a push in some congregations to learn something about black history so the church can be prepared to celebrate Black History Month in February.

I used to get invitations from my white colleagues to preach during February, so much so, that I started saying “No”. I’ll come in June or April or September or even at Christmas, but I won’t come and have you parade me in front of your congregation as a token of your “wokeness” about black people.

So, why aren’t you honored to preach from a beautiful high steepled or no steepled church filled with fellow Christians who happen to be white? Excellent question. I’m honored to stand and preach the gospel before any congregation of any size or any location. I served as Interim Pastor of a European congregation for 2 1/2 years. They had never heard of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, the Black National Anthem. I taught it to them. But, that did not accomplish the task of overcoming the lack of understanding and appreciation for the plight of black people in America. It was a start.

Since the hideous murders of Armaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, several European congregations have established committees and groups with the intention of resolving racial hostilities. Some established reading groups; others had forums; others invited black people to come and speak about their experiences growing up black. All of these are well intentioned, and hopefully, some may actually move the needle in the direction of racial harmony.

But studying the history of black people in America as an educational or experimental endeavor does not serve the intended purpose.

One of the ways to learn and know how black people lived and continue to live is to try talking to a black colleague or neighbor. Find out about the black neighborhood in your city or town and who lives there under what conditions. Ask about the black business district or street in your city or town that was destroyed under the guise of urban renewal. Expand your social invitations.

These are ways to close the gap personally and the same can be done on a larger scale.

It’s a hard pivot. It requires giving up the comfort level that you enjoy. Understanding the plight of a person whose life experiences differ from yours requires a great deal of humility.

Understanding black history cannot be an annual project. If the goal is to understand and appreciate the history of black people, it requires a recognition and an acknowledgment that whatever you’ve learned about black people in history books, particularly books that overlooked the totality of blackness, and focus on a few talented or famous people is incomplete.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is quoted by many white people as the sole authority on anything and everything black. Believe it or not, there are other black people who have made amazing contributions to America and to the world, but you will not find out about them in the beautiful coffee table books that chronicle the achievements of a few black people.

I love to see the faces of white people the first time they attend a black church, especially a black funeral. Having no knowledge of the history of the black church or black funeral rituals confounds and sometimes frightens white people. But if you include a black person in your congregation, or in your circle of friends or acquaintances, chances are you will have an opportunity to experience black culture which includes the black church experience.

Our nation is convulsing hate and violence, some of which is rooted in fear of people who are not white. This deep rooted fear dates back to 1619 and continues to this day. If you characterize another human as a savage incapable of discipline, intellectual curiosity or emotion, then fear is a natural response. Even though some people have overcome that characterization of black people, America has not.

Black history is not something you pick up in February and put down in March. It is a lifelong pursuit which is worthy of all of our time and attention.