From the Pulpit: Four reasons why black history is America's history

February is designated Black History Month, a time for highlighting the significant contributions made by black Americans. Initially, this was only a one-week celebration, known as Negro History Week in 1926.

The timing of the inaugural event was influenced by the birth dates of two influential people: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. President Gerald Ford expanded it from one week to an entire month in 1976, America's bicentennial anniversary. Although some have never understood the value, President Ford said America should "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."

Since the beginning of Black History Week or Month, there have been disputes about whether attention should be given to any one ethnicity, given the fact that there are so many in America.

Others argue whether singling out one month encourages people to neglect it throughout the remainder of the year.

Although both arguments have merit, let's look at several reasons why Black History Month is needed.

First, Black History Month deserves celebration because it acknowledges some of the extraordinary achievements of black Americans. When black history is mentioned, there are several names that tend to surface: the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and Sojourner Truth.

However, there are thousands of other names that could be called -- people who were inventors, educators, artists and so forth. There are many heroes of black history who survived the odds to accomplish amazing things. This is a time when their stories are told, which encourages people of color to take pride in their heritage.

Second, Black History Month should be celebrated because it helps all Americans appreciate how far we have come. Slavery is not a "black" or "negro" story -- it's the American story, and we must never forget how Africans were brought into this country and the sacrifices that have been and are still being made.

The story must be told as James Weldon Johnson said, "We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, we have come treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered!" That's not a very pretty picture -- but it's our picture, our story.

Celebrating how far we've come helps us appreciate the fight for freedom, and helps us remember we have more work to do.

Third, celebrating black history helps us capture the value of black heritage and history. This is a time we remember that all blacks are not committing crimes or killing each other. All black men are not robbing, sagging and wreaking havoc on society.

Black heritage is about working hard and living meaningful, purpose-driven lives. Just look at many of the old pictures of African-Americans. You'll see images of people who had great pride, people who had great hopes for a bright future and were willing to fight for it.

Finally, we should celebrate Black History Month for the sake of the cultural expressions that are revealed through the arts. Whether through singing, dancing, painting or the spoken word, African-Americans have greatly influenced American arts. Black history affords us the opportunity to showcase the evolution of African-American contributions in this area.

This year, take advantage of this special time of the year. Let's celebrate and share America's history.

The Rev. Gail T. Smith is pastor of the Universal Light Christian Center in Macon.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 9:47 PM with the headline "From the Pulpit: Four reasons why black history is America's history ."