Faith traditions pass on lessons of Black History Month | Candace McKibben

My work in hospice care was more than an education in end-of-life concerns and how to deal with them sensitively. It was also an education in cultures and religions other than my own and how to appreciate the beauty of diversity.

I am ashamed to admit that, until my work in hospice, I had never been in the home of someone who was not white. I was fascinated to see artwork in dark skin tones, including nativity scenes and portraits of Jesus, or shrines with multiple gods, or beautifully painted oriental silk screen panels.

I was also intrigued when I learned that houses of worship within the same faith tradition had such diverse practices, and was especially surprised by the ways in which Black churches so often taught Black history, and not only during the month of February.

I feel so na?ve, insensitive, and ignorant in saying so, but my first impression was that this tradition was questionable, a sort of violation of the separation of church and state that I had been taught as a child. What I quickly learned in relationships I developed with Black clergy, was how crucial to preserving Black history this practice of teaching Black history in the church was.

'Faith in Florida' resources

With legislative efforts at erasing Black history from public schools, teaching this history in houses of worship has not only become crucial in Black churches, but in all houses of worship.

A nonprofit coalition of religious institutions, “Faith in Florida,” whose mission is “to build a powerful, multicultural, nonpartisan network of congregations and community organizations in Florida that will address systemic racial and economic issues that cause poverty for our families,” has developed a resource to help.

The tool kit guides worshippers of all faiths to reliable books, articles, documentaries, and reports covering the black experience through what it calls “the lens of truth.” With content designed for all ages, the tool kit has been well-received not only by faith communities in Florida, and not only by Black churches, but multiple faith groups and organizations across the nation.

It covers the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade through the civil rights movement up to the killing of George Floyd. You can learn more about this effort at faithinflorida.org.

Black History Month tradition

February is Black History Month. The celebration is nearly a century old and honors 400 years of African American Culture, highlighting how much of the nation’s growth and the advancement of human civilization stemmed from the contributions of black men and women.

Founded by Harvard graduate, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the Father of Black History, Black History Month is an opportunity for all of us to be intentional about learning the truth and scope of the history of our nation.

Woodson who also founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915, wrote, “Hold on to the real facts of history as they are, but complete such knowledge by studying also the history of races and nations which have been purposely ignored.”

I heard on NPR about LaVon Bracy, the Democracy Director of Faith in Florida, recently teaching Black history at a church in Orlando.

After class, Dr. Bracy gave each of her students a tiny vial filled with soil she had collected at various sites across Africa. When asked “Why?” by the interviewer, she said, “I want the children to take this soil with them and every time they are facing a difficult thing to take out the vial and say, ’My ancestors made it. They walked on this soil, and I can make it, too.’”

Finding common ground

Every year, the sitting President of the United States makes a proclamation on National Black History month.

I am moved by the introduction to this year’s celebration: “Throughout our history, Black Americans have never given up on the promise of America. Unbowed by the forces of hate and undaunted as they fought for centuries against slavery, segregation, and injustice, Black Americans have held a mirror up to our Nation, allowing our country to confront hard truths about who we are and pushing us to live up to our founding ideals. They have helped redeem the soul of our Nation, ensuring the promises in our founding documents were not just words on a page but a lived reality for all people. In the process, the vibrancy of Black history and culture has enriched every aspect of American life.”

I am also encouraged by recent research from “More in Common,” an organization whose mission is “to understand the forces driving us apart, to find common ground and help to bring people together to tackle our shared challenges.”

This nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that studies polarization in the U.S. and Europe, has been collecting data from thousands of Americans about their views on teaching history. They have found that while conversations about teaching American history are often framed in extreme binaries, American viewpoints are far more complex.

Explore Tallahassee sites and events

During this Black History Month, I pray we all will take time to learn more about the ways in which Black men and women have enriched every aspect of American life.

Perhaps you would like to visit the Civil Rights Memorial in Cascades Park at the former site of the Leon County Jail, or the John G. Riley House Museum and Smokey Hollow, an area that was once a thriving black community.

Perhaps you would like to join Florida State University’s Civil Rights Institute on Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the College of Medicine Auditorium for a one-hour film screening from the 12-hour “Justice Sunday” series hosted by Clifton Davis as a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.

Or maybe you are interested in the lively FAMU Harambee Festival held on Feb. 24, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Adderley Amphitheater at Cascades Park, where the theme is “Inspiring Unity in the Community.”

The Anderson Brickler Gallery at 1747 S Adams St. with gallery hours three days a week has an exhibit that opened on Feb. 2. In keeping with the 2024 national theme of Black History Month, “African Americans and the Arts,” the exhibit, “Reflection and Reckoning: Brown v. Board of Education at 70,” will be on display through May 18.

Or maybe you would like to read a book about the contributions of black men and women to our nation’s wellbeing, like the anthology, “Four Hundred Souls,” or read to your children or grandchildren a book like "Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." by Doreen Rappaport, Bryan Collier (Illustrator).

Perhaps you would like to reflect on the ways in which black Americans have impacted your own life for the better or pray for our nation to better appreciate the contributions of all its citizens. Black History Month is a time to learn what we have missed of our common history. I pray we will do just that.

The Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of Tallahassee Fellowship

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Celebrating Black History Month with resources and education