By Crystal Blanton, Senior Substance Use Disorder Services (SUDS) Advisor

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Celebrating Black History Month has become a meaningful cultural tradition among many Black people in the United States. For the remaining months of the year, greater society often navigates without recognizing or centering the contributions, dreams, accomplishments, values, or lives of Black people. But for February, Blackness is acceptable in almost all spaces—so much so that it has become financially lucrative for larger corporations to benefit from the melanated faces that are often not a part of their day-to-day operations.

Despite the realities of capitalism and performative allyship during this time of year, there are important aspects of Black History Month that contribute to a place of belonging often missing in other parts of American culture. In February, Black people almost get to be their fully authentic selves, even though we are Black every day of every year.

Of course, there are many reasons that Black History Month is important beyond the celebration. It is a time to hear Black voices, rediscover Black stories, normalize Black beauty, and center Black dreams. It is a time when Black children get to see and hear the history of those who achieved amazing things despite the conditions of the America they existed within. It is a time when the strength and humanity of Black people are seen and uplifted.

I was raised without many biological family members around me. My mother left Alabama to move to California when she was young. This meant that I did not have many familial relationships growing up that helped me to shape my understanding of myself or my Blackness. It just so happened that we also lived in El Cerrito, California. At that time, it was not a very racially or financially diverse area; I was one of six Black children in my elementary school.

Growing up in an environment where I could not see others like me had a detrimental impact on my sense of self-worth and perpetuated feelings of isolation. I knew I did not belong within my physical community and was faced with the confusion of feeling that I needed to be other than I was in order to have a place there. I longed for a sense of belonging.

What I have come to understand as an adult was how vital cultural celebrations were for my sense of development and connection to who I was. What I could not get in my neighborhood, I would be able to access during specific times of the year, like during Black History Month. I didn't have to be ashamed of being different; I could be proud and lean into that sense of connection and pride.

By the time I was in high school, I was motivated to study and bevocal about my developing understanding of my Blackness, the Black PantherParty for Self-Defense, disregarded Black leaders, the impact of racism, andthe power of activism.

Today, I have an investment in the power of positive racial socialization for our youth, families, and within our communities. Racial socialization does not just come from lessons passed down from parents but also through our communities and within society. Every opportunity that our Black youth get to see powerful, positive, impactful Black people, past and present, is an opportunity to disrupt narratives that perpetuate oppression, isolation, and disconnect. These moments of positive racial socialization contribute to an ability to see ourselves beyond restrictions or pain. It expands our ability to connect with who we are as a people and all that we are capable of accomplishing. It connects us to culture and a knowingness about what we have come from. It gives us more than what is fed to us in the news or depictions of who Black people “are.”

In addition to all those very important elements, this month is a chance to connect to the Black community that reinforces culture. The threads of our past and present accomplishments and struggles come together within a rich tapestry of culture that lets us know we are a part of the larger Black community and connected through our Black culture no matter where we are.

As providers working in systems with impacted youth, this is an opportunity for us to think about how beneficial these cultural moments can be for the youth who are separated from their family of origin for a variety of reasons. The youth that are cycled in and out of systems are subjected to the shaping and molding of their trauma or pain into storylines that align with the depictions of Blackness they see on the news. Impacted youth that do not have access to their family or do not have opportunities to be socialized in positive ways around race and culture.

As providers and community members, we have a unique opportunity to uplift the importance of cultural connection for our youth in ways that increase their ability to see themselves beyond their circumstances. We cannot and should not assume they will get what they need without direct investment in their cultural development.

And so, during this month, I lovingly challenge us all to think of ways that we can contribute to the uplifting of positive racial socialization for Black Youth. I encourage us to be mindful and purposeful of how we are modeling chances to learn and discuss Black culture and Black history. We need to challenge our own conceptions or misconceptions of race and the impact of racial history on the functioning of society so that we can have the knowledge we need to foster important conversations. We need to make sure that youth have access to others that reflect the beauty of their culture back to them.

Today, I strive to be a supportive person in the lives of those Black youth and adults who did not have ways to positively learn about their own Blackness. I am still learning about mine, and the process of learning is empowering and beautiful.

Happy Black History Month. May it serve as a reminder of all the ways that we are the history and the future—every single day of the year.