Dear Editor,

Evidently, one of the reasons for a Black History Month celebration is to impress on the minds and hearts of black people the world over pride in their ancestral accomplishments and belief in their own self-worth and possibilities.

Such reigniting of the minds might perhaps be to reroute their focus from things like drugs, get-rich-quick schemes, scamming, self-hate, daily murdering, and a slew of attendant vices that seem to tarnish the Negro race as a whole.

But, in reality, though, does the month of February actually impact black people in any significant way? Does February really engender a collective sense of dignity and self-empowerment among the black population?

Increasingly, there is a clear indication that occasions, signs, and celebrations are merely empty symbolisms if they are of no immediate use to the man in the street. With self-interest being the hallmark and all-embracing religion, it is difficult to inspire others by pointing out the accomplishments of their black ancestors.

There is also the added impediment of classism among black people, which is easily more powerful than any unity that could result from just being of the same skin colour.

A conviction of black togetherness and collective empowerment is an illusion when measured against the stark realities of the day.

Homer Sylvester

h2sylvester@gmail.com