Frances, this is a good question and one that is often asked. My views are as follows:

1) Our society is not color blind yet, although much progress has been made.  I do not think pointing out the positive contributions of African Americans and other minorities during certain times of the year contribute to "color consciousness".

2) Children need more examples of important contributions to our society by African Americans given the overwhelming negative images conveyed in some music lyrics and videos.

3) Although I am increasingly optimistic that racial and gender discrimination will decline, we are not there yet.

Ron

Hi, I'm really glad you asked this question. I know there are others who wonder the same, and it's valuable to know the history of traditions.  

In my opinion: Black History Month provides focused learning and reflection on the ways in which African Americans have positively contributed to society and humanity. It doesn't mean that other cultures or races are less important and to be ignored, or that by observing this month, one is contributing to racial injustice and intolerance. Instead, I see it as exploring and embracing diversity through the study and celebration of a particular group of people and their cultural experiences.

Also, according to this article, "How to Talk with Your Child About Black History Month" (http://www.education.com/reference/article/talk-your-child-about-black-history-month/ ), this cultural observance/holiday came about because many Americans did not know enough about the role African Americans played in building this country, and because Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard University trained historian, realized that African Americans were being written out of the country’s history books.

I'm thrilled with the progress our nation has made and is making, and I hope that even in a "color-blind" society, we will still celebrate individual cultures and experiences with dedicated observances or events like Black History Month.

Hi, There are some additional perspectives on this topic from Education.com visitors in the comments section of this article:

Learn About Black History: Seven Lesser-Known Figures
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/learn-black-history-lesser-figures/

African American History Month began as Nergo History Week and was devleloped into Black History Month by Carter G.Woodson. During this time all races are invited to learn about african american culture. No one of any race is to be excluded. After years of hardships, african americans deserve a time to be celebrated.