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Reactions to the End of Another Black History Month
Mar 1 2004 by Elliott McMillan
"Whew...Black History Month is finally over," sighed bank manager Tom Schoenke as he took down posters and brochures featuring a black couple getting a home loan. "I'll put these away for next year," he added as he threw an African sculpture from his desk into a box marked "BHM."
Schoenke's feelings were echoed throughout the country Monday, as the yearly observation of African-American achievement in America came to an end.
Teacher Rhonda Stark is glad she can return to her normal lesson plan. "I've been teaching out of the same guide for the five years I've been here. Charles Drew discovered blood types, Harriet Tubman led the underground railroad, George Washington Carver created the peanut. Every year, the same thing. I need to teach these kids something they can use in the future, like how to lie on their resumes," said Stark, taking down well-worn cutouts of famous African Americans. "At least they could give us some new cutouts," she continued. "It was only two years ago when I realized the football player wearing number 32 was OJ Simpson."
Reached on the campaign trail, Al Sharpton was not so enthusiastic. "We only have one month out of twelve to celebrate black history. Only twenty-eight days. Come on, people! Twenty-eight days!" Sharpton had no response when informed that this is a leap year.
The leap day was not lost on Knoxville, Tennessee's NBC affiliate station manager Jason Sutula. "We had to run our, 'Celebrating Diversity' and 'Honoring Black Achievement' spots for an extra day. Those are seconds that could be used to promo the upcoming Poison Creek Fun Run, or the grand opening for the Subway my brother-in-law and I just opened. Don't these people realize that this is a sweeps month?"
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