As we celebrate Black History Month throughout February, race dominates the national news, as it has for several years. From George Floyd to Tyre Nichols, senseless tragedy has forced race into the national conversation.

Carter G. Woodson, the “Father of Black History,” felt black Americans needed to remember and celebrate their heritage. In 1926, at a time when Jim Crow prevailed and Blacks were not valued, he developed Negro History Week, which evolved into Black History Month. Woodson famously said: “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

Over time, there has been much debate about the usefulness of Black History Month. Some say it has outlived its purpose. Some say the year’s shortest month is not enough. Some say why define history by race. But regardless of the debate, we know that history is crucial to any culture and any country. The past can determine the present and the future.

From the arts to medicine, education, music, inventions, entrepreneurship, etc., Blacks have played an influential role in shaping America.

How else will we remember the journeys of Harriet Tubman as she guided slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad? Or explore the many contributions of African-American creativity known as The Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. Can we afford to forget innovative inventors such as George Washington Carver, who developed hundreds of products from peanuts, or Garrett Morgan, who first patented an electric automatic traffic light? How would we learn about Lewis Latimer whose invention of a longer-lasting filament for the light bulb helped Thomas Edison?

Recent racial tension and division make it even more important that all Americans know our country’s history and the contributions many diverse groups have made to it.

Celebrating Black History Month allows us to pause and remember the stories, so we can commemorate the historic achievements.

We hear about the horrors of slavery, the poverty rates, incarceration rates, and inner-city black-on-black crime. We are bombarded with images of misbehaving athletes and out-of-control Hollywood stars. We see all the bad news and not enough of the good. For that reason it is important to know of Black individuals who have made positive contributions to our nation and continue to achieve.

For example:

• Georgia-based teenagers Charlie and Hannah Lucas launched a mobile app called notOK that makes it easy for youths in crisis to ask for help. The app sends a message to five pre-selected contacts in a phone if there is an issue. The app can be used by those with mental or physical problems.
• Vanessa Wyche became the first Black woman to lead a NASA center when she was appointed the director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston last year.
• Tony Hansberry II at 14 years old developed a stitching technique, called the endo stitch, that can be used to reduce surgical complications, as well as the chance of error among less experienced surgeons.

These are just a few examples. They represent positive change and innovation that can and have changed American history. After all, American history is a compilation of individual stories – for Black Americans, as well.

Denver Gazette Editorial Board