OSHKOSH, WI- (WISS) – Black History Month is important, not just for African-Americans, but also for anyone and everyone who wants to understand their fellow countrymen and community members. So says the head of African-American Studies in the sociology department of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Dr. Alphonso Simpson.

“(Black History Month) highlights the significant contributions, the struggles, the achievement, and even the forward-mindedness of black individuals throughout American history. A lot of that has been overlooked and marginalized,” Simpson said.

The Past

Simpson says so many things that we take for granted each day were invented or made possible by contributions from African-Americans.

“ I start my introduction to African-American studies course talking about all of the accomplishments, all the contributions that black people have made to not just American society, but to the world,” Simpson enthused. “When we look at the types of things we like – the elevator, the escalator, the stoplight, or the traffic signals, internal combustion engines, the heating furnace, air conditioning, refrigeration – I mean, there’s so many things.”

Simpson said Black History Month is not just about the accomplishments of black Americans but also an acknowledgment of the struggles.

”When you look at what we call the African Holocaust, the transatlantic slave trade, and those 200-plus years of slavery here in America from 1619 to 1865, of course, is more than any of us could ever endure,” he said.

Dr. Alphonso Simpson is the Director of African-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Photo: Courtesy of Alphonso Simpson.

The Present

But, Simpson emphasizes that efforts to teach about Black History and the experience of Black America are not to be critical or cause “White Guilt.”

“ It’s not about making people feel guilty,” he said. “It’s about bringing people into the knowledge of the truth. And it helps us to all see our fellow man as contributors to the society in which we so enjoy.”

To help celebrate Black History Month at UWO, Dr. Simpson created a calendar with activities for UWO students and community members to participate in, including a two-part event called Support in the Age of Uncertainty on February 26th and 27th. The first night will include a think tank discussion centered around the recent challenges and threats posed in Wisconsin. The next night, the conversation is taken to national leaders. Both can be attended virtually through Zoom. Links to the events can be found here.

The Future

Simpson is not only the Director of African-American Studies at UWO, he is also the Vice-President of the National Council for Black Studies.

“Because every day is a donation to eternity. Every day is a donation to history.” Simpson added, “And anything I do as myself is black history.”

Alphonso Simpson, Professor, Director of African-American Studies at UWO, promoter of knowledge and culture, and a modern-day Black History Maker.

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