I Am a Man: Why Black History Matters

Mural of I Am A Man march in Memphis - Black history — Ilse Orsel photo | Unsplash

Celebrating Black history brings us closer to heaven where racial and ethnic distinctions eternally point to Jesus as king of all creation.

By Dr. Mark A. Croston, Sr.

“I Am A Man.” Sanitation workers carried signs bearing these words during the Memphis sanitation workers strike. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated while trying to help improve these working conditions and the conditions of people’s lives in general.

Rifles with bayonets were brandished at them; military tanks surrounded them. But all these men did was walk peacefully, and their only weapons were signs that read, “I Am A Man.” This is part of Black history.

Black history is American history

True American history must tell the whole story: the good, the bad, and even the ugly. When we redact the stories or embellish the accounts, we turn what could have been history into mere eulogy. Eulogies are good words, but they don’t always give us enough of the truth to help us. History helps us face, analyze, and overcome the pains and problems of the past. It gives us a starting point and helps us set a trajectory toward a better future. It is no surprise that in the Bible both the Old Testament and the New Testament begin with anchors of history.

“History helps us face, analyze, and overcome the pains and problems of the past. It gives us a starting point and helps us set a trajectory toward a better future.” — @CrostonMin Share on X

America was born out of a desire for religious freedom and the freedom for each person to be able to work and achieve their best life. This is a lofty goal we have struggled to achieve and still struggle to maintain. History reminds us of our mistakes so we don’t repeat them.

Black history is human history

We can’t tell the whole numerical narrative with just prime integers. The use of the three primary colors in isolation would cause us to miss the full beauty of God’s vivid and picturesque creation. The most soulful country music can’t express the entire melodious corpus. As great as the Pauline Letters are, they are insufficient as a biblical canon to themselves.

The Euro-American perspective is vital for all of us, but it cannot tell the whole of the human story. In the same way, all our history is incomplete without seeing where it intersects with Black history. It is a portion of the human record that has been at times forgotten, ignored, overlooked, dismissed, misstated, censured, and even banned. It has been at times eulogized instead of historized. But it is true we cannot fully know who we are unless we know from whence we have come.

It is not uncommon for me to have to answer questions like: “Why do we have to be Black and white? We are Christians, why can’t we all just be people?” Or they might ask, “Why do we have a Black church? Why can’t we all just be church?” Well, I would like to say that even though I have a passion for soul food, I still think we need cheese pizza, beef burritos, goat vindaloo, jerk pork, kung pow chicken, shrimp pad Thai, and vegetarian eggplant moussaka.

In the same way, our goal should not be to morph so all people and churches become exactly alike. But like restaurants, all churches embrace their own distinctives as they work to make everyone their customer, and they make everyone who comes completely welcome.

“Our goal should not be to morph so all people and churches become exactly alike.” — @CrostonMin Share on X

Black history is holy history

Paul declares, “From one man [God] has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live” (Acts 17:26, CSB).

Al Mohler addressed ethnic diversity and the gospel in his Spring 2015 convocation message:

One of the most important affirmations of biblical anthropology is that every single human being is created in the image of God.…

Racism is one of the primal human sins and one of the most difficult to eradicate. It is the very antithesis of the gospel of Jesus Christ and everything that Christians should know, believe, teach, and live.…

Diversity is not an accident; it is a divine purpose. Diversity is not a problem; it is a divine gift. It does not reflect evolutionary development and social evolution; it reflects the imago Dei and Genesis mandate to fill the earth.…

Sin explains hatred and animosity, racism and ethnocentricity. Seen in the light of the gospel, racial and ethnic differences are not accidental. They reflect the perfect plan of a perfect God. And they are not overcome by the gospel; they are glorified by the gospel.

Our uniqueness is a highlight of the human and holy story. Even when we get to heaven, our racial and ethnic distinctions will not be eradicated or diminished. Rather their presence is an eternal sign that Jesus is the conquering king of all His creation.

“Diversity is not an accident; it is a divine purpose. Diversity is not a problem; it is a divine gift.” — @AlbertMohler Share on X

“After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’
Revelation 7:9-10, CSB

In celebrating Black history, you bring us all a little closer to heaven. And don’t forget Hispanic Heritage Month and Asian Heritage Month are right around the corner, and the same could be said of them. In fact, we annually celebrate 15 ethnic history/heritage months in all, because we all matter.