Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Divided by Our Labels

I’ve never understood Black History Month.

Don’t get me wrong, I get its function: to celebrate the lives of famous African Americans throughout history. And while I certainly feel that it is right to honor those famous individuals who persevered in a society of hate and prejudice, I still do not entirely understand why the month exists. To me, Black History Month is just another reminder of how we, as a society, have failed to grasp the true meaning of the term “equality.” In fact, I believe that Black History Month, and other social conventions having to do with race, actually create larger barriers than those they attempt to break down.

To me, the best way to handle the concept of race (or any other point of difference between identities) is to simply not make it a factor. Instead of seeing black or Latino or Caucasian people, we should see just see men or women; or, alternatively considering gender equality, just  people with different skills, traits, personalities and ideas than our own.

The ideal situation, which I believe that all societies should strive for, would be that race or gender just didn’t enter our minds. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously noted, we should not judge by the color of skin (or the God one follows, or the reproductive organs one has), but solely by the “content of one’s character.” I know that this is easier said than done. Even the most tolerant person would find it hard to describe someone without referencing skin color or gender. How are we supposed to see each other as equals and not consider labels at all when we dedicate whole months, scholarships, groups and other conventions to the ideas  underlying these various labels? We are so preoccupied with being “politically correct” that we are almost building a new distance between each other. We are not progressing; we have simply created a new environment of separation. We are not letting go of labels; we are holding onto them more tightly. Moreover, there are so many representations of this overzealous focus on our labels that it becomes hard to notice them all. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be so fully focused on the labels with which we identify that we want to shout it from the mountaintops. We should all see ourselves as individuals and treat each other equally based on that fact alone.

I know this is uncomfortable to face. We live in a society that seems hell-bent on shining great big lights on whatever label defines a person. Our society tells us to revel in these labels and show them off to the world. And I’m not trying to say that people should not be comfortable with their races orsexualities or religions or genders. I only feel that this obsessive emphasis on our labels is not the right way to approach who we are as humans.

We need to cast off the labels. We need to progress beyond the need or desire for them. We need to not care. And as long as we have conventions like Black History Month, or any other such month, we can never progress past that point.  If we want to keep them around for the older generations for whom they still have meaning, fine. We need a transition period, I understand that. But we need to at least recognize the effect that such celebrations of one aspect of identity have. And then we need to realize that we need to eventually get rid of them.

Ben Mazzara is a freshman in the College. He draws “SCRIBBLES OF A MADMAN” every other Tuesday.

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Hoya

Your donation will support the student journalists of Georgetown University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Hoya

Comments (0)

All The Hoya Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *