Is Black History Month Racist?

One of the terrible things about being a philosopher is that I have to question commonly held beliefs. I have to think about other odd things, like being a brain in a vat, considering that I'm just a computer made out of meat, that I really have no knowledge (all beliefs I disagree with) but every now and again, I will adopt a position that isn't too common, and for whatever reason, it causes much hatred towards me. Being against same-sex marriage is one example. Now, I have given the world more reason to hate me. I've concluded that Black History Month is racist. 

All people are equal. Treating someone differently for an arbitrary or non-moral trait, like skin color or hair length, is unjust. Things like mental defects moral decisions are not arbitrary. When we treat someone differently based merely on the color of their skin, we call this racism. Black History Month is the special attention dedicated to black persons for just being black. Black History Month is racist. That's it in a nutshell. 

Now, before I have people hating on me (I've already had people call me racist and a self-loathing minority), I would like to point out an inconsistency. Most people despise racism because it treated people differently. Yet, when we give black people a month of recognition, we are doing the same thing, treating them differently, as a separate group. But isn't that what was fought against during the Civil Rights movement, to not be treated differently and have them not be "separate but equal." 

There is a difference though. During the Civil Rights movement, black people among other minorities were treated negatively. However, Black History Month treats them positively. This is not a morally significant difference. To put them in a positive light for the mere fact that they are black entails the inferiority of other persons. Think about like this: the government is looking to give a contract to a landscaper. There is a choice between a business owner with black employees and the other with white employees. The government gives it to the white business simply because they are white and say, "We don't believe black people are inferior, but we believe that white people should be treated favorably." No one would buy that. So we are buying that there should be a Black History Month? 

It reminds me of the line in Orwell's Animal Farm, which reads, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."