February 1st is bitter sweet time for some. My high school friend, Peter Doyle, replied to my Facebook post. My status was the title of this blog with Happy Birthday Rick James added to it. James was born in Buffalo, New York. An hour away from Rochester. My sister was and is still a BIG fan of his.
Peter said on my post: How a woman questioned why we celebrate Black History Month. She thought there was no need for it. And thought there should be a White History Month. Doyle commented and said: "Every day is White History Month." He also replied to me "how stupid she felt after he replied to her because know one had ever broken it down to her like that."
It may be the shortest month of the year, but February is Black History Month and I like learning new and old things about Black people. Did you know: What we now call Black History Month originated in 1926, founded by Carter G Woodson as Negro History Week. The month of February was selected in deference to Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln who were both born in that month. Carter G Woodson. The son of a slave, Woodson was born in New Canton, Virginia, on December 19, 1875. He began high school at the age of 20 and then proceeded to study at Berea College, the University of Chicago, the Sorbonne, and Harvard University, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1912.
I suggest that you use this month as a reminder of how far we have come as a people and how much further we have to go to fulfill Dr. Martin Luther King's Jr's dream. Listen to a different genre of black music or a black-owned radio station. Volunteer at a community center or in your child's class. Attend a play, movie, or musical debut. Support a black business. Dine in a black restaurant. Read a book by a black author. There are black men and women who have made significant contributions to our society. Do you have a black dentist, doctor, or lawyer. Or maybe research your family tree? A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
The one thing that I have learned about this month. There are still many facts that we don't know. These hidden stories need to be told and shared with others. This type of history ISN'T taught in school. This information is lost because it was never reported. These stories are passed on by the griot's in our community. We have made a lot of strides toward the dream of equality, we are a strong and powerful race and King was right: we shall over come someday. And we're doing it. One accomplishment at a time.
Posted By: Marsha Jones
Wednesday, February 2nd 2011 at 11:36PM
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