“Why Do We Need Black History Month?” (A Response from a White Guy)

by Zachary Bryant

Every year, when February rolls around, there’s a familiar chorus:
"Why do we need Black History Month? Isn’t that divisive? Shouldn’t we just celebrate American history?”

It reminds me of another phrase I’ve heard too often:
"Why do we say ‘Black Lives Matter’? Don’t ALL lives matter?”

I don’t get it.
But I used to.

I used to understand the pushback.
I used to nod along when people said things like that, thinking, “Yeah, that makes sense.”
But it doesn’t make sense anymore.

Not because I’ve become “woke” or figured it all out—but because I’ve started to see what I couldn’t see before.
And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

The “All Lives Matter” Problem

When people respond to “Black Lives Matter” with “All Lives Matter,” they’re technically not wrong—of course all lives matter. But that’s not the point. The point is that Black lives have historically—and presently—been treated as if they don’t.

It’s like this:
Imagine your house is on fire. Flames are ripping through the walls, smoke is billowing, and you call 911. But when the firefighters arrive, they start hosing down every house on the street. When you yell, “My house is burning!” they respond, “Well, all homes matter.”

Technically true. But completely missing the point.

Saying “Black Lives Matter” is like rushing to help the house that’s on fire—not because other houses don’t matter, but because this one is burning.

Black History Month works the same way.
It’s not about saying Black history matters more—it’s about acknowledging that Black history has been systemically ignored, erased, or whitewashed. It’s about pulling up a chair for the stories that have been left out of the room entirely.

Why We Need Black History Month

1. Because History Books Have Gaps—Big Ones
When I was in school, Black history was reduced to a greatest-hits playlist: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”speech, Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, maybe a paragraph on Frederick Douglass. Then it was back to “real” history—which mostly centered on white people.

The problem isn’t that we’re talking about Black history for one month.
The problem is that we’ve never talked about it enough the other eleven.

Black History Month exists because the default version of history leaves too much out.

2. Because Remembering is a Sacred Act
In Scripture, God constantly commands people to remember.
“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt,” God says to Israel—not to guilt them, but to form them into people who don’t repeat oppression.

Remembering shapes identity.
It helps us understand not just where we’ve been, but who we are now.

Black History Month is sacred remembering.
It’s not just about celebrating achievements; it’s about honoring lives, struggles, and legacies that were deliberately forgotten. It’s a form of resistance against erasure.

3. Because the Past Isn’t Really the Past
Some people say, “That’s all in the past. Slavery’s over. Segregation ended. Why can’t we just move on?”

Because the past isn’t past.
Racism didn’t retire after the Civil Rights Movement—it just changed outfits.

The systems that enslaved Black bodies evolved into laws, policies, redlining, mass incarceration, voter suppression, and economic inequality.
If you think Black history is just about the past, you’re not paying attention to the present.

4. Because Acknowledging Injustice Isn’t the Same as Creating Division
Talking about racism doesn’t create division—racism creates division.
Naming it is the first step toward healing.

When people say, “Talking about race just divides us,” what they really mean is, “Talking about race makes me uncomfortable.”

But the gospel isn’t about avoiding discomfort.
It’s about truth that sets us free—even when it stings.

Books That Have Helped Me

I’m still learning. I’ve said the wrong things, missed the point, and had to unlearn a lot. But here are a few books that have helped me see what I couldn’t before:

• Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley – A powerful exploration of how the Bible speaks into the Black experience, blending personal stories with theological depth.

• The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby – A hard but necessary look at the Church’s complicity in racism throughout American history—and how we can do better.

• The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone – A theological masterpiece that connects the suffering of Christ to the suffering of Black people in America. It wrecked me in the best way.

• I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – Beyond the famous speech, King’s writings are raw, prophetic, and painfully relevant today.

There are so many more, but these have shaped me personally.

If You’re Still Skeptical…

I don’t get it.
But I used to.

I used to think Black History Month was unnecessary.
I used to think talking about race caused division.
I used to think that if we all just “moved on,” things would get better.

But I was wrong.

I don’t get the defensiveness anymore.
I don’t get the “But what about white history?” questions—because white history has never been ignored. It’s been the default.
I don’t get the fear that honoring Black history somehow diminishes anyone else’s.

You don’t have to feel guilty for being white—I certainly don’t.
But I do feel responsible for what I do with the privilege I’ve inherited.

Black History Month isn’t about pointing fingers.
It’s about opening eyes.

So instead of asking, “Why do we need Black History Month?” maybe the better question is:
“Why were we ever okay without it?”