Celebrating Black History Month, Pt. I: Events That Shaped Our Lives

February is Back History Month, and Black History Month 2008 is dedicated to the recognition, perpetuation and preservation of its contributors, young and old, who have been at the forefront of the struggle -- men and women who do not believe that challenges should be diluted. For those in the radio and music industries, they have been involved in America's indigenous music -- those who make it, those who play it, those who market it and those who support it. Unfortunately, ours is a culture that honors mere fame far more than it does hard achievement.

Black History Month exists because of a need … the need for artists, writers, publishers, executives, programmers, air talent, promoters, journalists, educators, students and even members of the general public to join with us to acknowledge and recognize the immense contributions of African-Americans to our changing culture. They are mirrors of our outer and inner selves.

As we prepare to usher in another election year, despite our problems there is reason for hope, and one of the reasons for that hope is the fact that we are still here. We are all in the struggle together. We didn't have to be, but we are. Unfortunately, some that would like to have been here have been called away, which underlines the fact that longevity is a precious commodity and life is sweet.

Filling The Time Gap

For many of us, Black History Month is naturally about the music, but it's also about the people, about recognition and it's about time. For all of us, time is taking its toll. Just to survive, most of us have had to keep moving and grapple with that elusive enemy called time. We've also had to battle with the monolithic majority corporations. The competition has forced us to be stronger. It has spawned a more sophisticated communicator and a more highly skilled executive. Because of both, there is new reason for hope.

The current generation has set up institutions that will continue to benefit them (at the expense of other groups) as they plan to grow old and live longer than any other generation. It's spend what you want, cut your own taxes -- the ultimate baby boomer philosophy, or "we want to have it all." They're not a generation that had to deal with the reality of sacrifice.

Often when people get older they say to the younger generation, "Well, it's your turn now." We feel a little differently. Rather than just passing the torch and saying we did our best, this generation, which dreamed such big, impossible dreams, refuses to step aside. It sees itself as part of change that it still passionately believes will come.

The origins of the entertainment culture can be traced back to the phonograph record and the radio, both of which made possible for the first time the development of a genuinely mass culture. But until very recently, entertainment was a luxury in which we could indulge upon only on occasion. Now it is a daily reality, perhaps a necessity, and certainly in the minds of many of us, an entitlement.

During the next four weeks we will continue in our proud tradition of recognition by combining our coverage with stories of those whose dreams have been affected by consolidation, downsizing, unemployment, accidents, illness, poverty and simply growing old.

We know the clock is ticking. During Black History Month 2008, we will continue to touch on and recognize some distinguished people and events from all sides of our industries. Men and women who have taken the lead in helping to mend the ugly rips in the fabric of society and restore the fragile bonds that so many of us thought we were building. Ordinary people who, just by believing in themselves and refusing to give up or give in, have given back.

Some of those who we want to recognize this year are people whose efforts and contributions have enriched lives and whose sacrifices might have gone unnoticed:

There is a chance that this generation may reclaim their earlier legacy. They could have a second coming in terms of social idealism and find new ways to contribute that mean something beyond themselves. In some realms, this new generation already takes pride in what they have bequeathed. Women, for example, are breaking into many male-dominated fields on a broad new scale, providing expanded options for those who follow.

This generation didn't invent the genre, but they were the fans who made it so durable. Even as music remains youth-oriented, today's young record buyers and downloaders couldn't escape the feeling that they wanted something more. They now have to admit that both the performers and the times have changed. The explosion of energy and technology that began in the '90s is just a memory

We still live in a time and country where many continue to be deliberately isolated, racially classified and often systematically deprived of both the resources and the opportunities to succeed. For too long and despite our obvious talent and gifts, we have been allowed to only assume severely limited roles in our industries.

Historically, part of this movement began around the turn of the century, with a deepening racial chasm that launched an extraordinary violent and repressive era in America. It was a time when some state legislatures in the North and South were controlled and influenced by members of the Ku Klux Klan. It was a period when groups of respectable white Southerners continued to burn black men in public, brought their children to watch and mailed their loved ones souvenir postcards of the smoldering corpses. It was a time when African-Americans lost the right to vote to a white South determined to control their lives and labor by any means necessary. One state, North Carolina, stripped the vote from black men in 1900. By 1910, every state in the South had taken the vote from its black citizens, using North Carolina as one of their models. And when the violence ended, a war of memory persisted.

And that story holds many lessons for us today in 2008. It reminds us that history does not just happen. It does not unfold naturally like the seasons, or rise and fall like the tides. History is made by people who bend and shape the present to create the future.

Black History Month allows us to reflect upon the rich history of the radio and music industries that conveys from one generation to another its lessons and obligations. Accumulated experiences and sharing of the histories are what Black History Month is really about. They define our opportunities. It is our hope that by recognizing the events and opportunities we've selected, we will help to encourage dignity for what they accomplished. Perhaps most importantly, we hope to inspire tomorrow's leaders with the idea that integrity still matters -- that family values still matter -- as does respect. It is still our feeling that our industries may be on the verge of a new era -- one that is faster, funkier and filled with bold challenges, new opportunities and for a select few, huge rewards.

Despite the struggle and the obstacles, the future holds promise. A future that began with a dream and continues by remembering the dreamer and the reason for the dream. That's part of the new reality of Black History Month. As we look to the next four weeks we will celebrate with you, we encourage you to join us in looking back and remembering.

We want to remember those who gave their lives for simple justice. We want not to mistake power for greatness, nor to celebrate those responsible for our worst nightmares.

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