Happy hump day! I’ve had this one for a while, apologies for the delay. Today’s post comes to us from Mrs. P. Thank you, Mrs.P!
It’s February and it’s black history month. I can talk about several different things and ways that the American people have benefited from great American blacks. But this post isn’t that. There are things that affect and contribute to the black community that go on not said, and, I am the one to say it. Black History encompasses everything about who we are. Black History is American History.
Black History month was born out the perceived absence of America not teaching children and not acknowledging the contributions African Americans have made in the United States. However, there are several pro–black movements that get ignored year-round as if people are bothered by pro-black topics, recognitions and ideas. In fact, many times the stories of black history greats are often ignored if the story isn’t left leaning or holds up some proper notion of blacks.
The month was supposed to be a time to tell our history, but we don’t tell it all. We wash it with only everything that is good leaving out the humanity of our most respected. Telling all sides of a story isn’t bashing our dead or dishonoring their legacy. It is showing that these people were ordinary like each of us that choose to not let that stop them from going far.
For example, Malcolm X was just as much as Civil Rights leader and ultimate lost his life fighting the cause and fighting his very own religious members. HE might not have had a message that was non-violent, but he nonetheless was a fearless debater sharing his ideas in the public square. He would stand up to both democrats and republican party leaders. Malcolm X was a family man and it is often overlooked as well.
Our history isn’t just the ones of white slavers taking our ancestors and making them slaves. We often leave out other black slave owners, women slave owners and how Native Americans turnedrunaway blacks back into their owners for bounty. Black America leaves out the fact that most other ethnicities didn’t care about our struggle. We leave out the parts of our history that isn’t good, when it all matters to who we are today.
The failures of the black politicians to cement a legacy of continued action within the Republican Party goes ignored. Republicans love to talk about their beginnings and how black abolitionistexisted. But the racial gap between then and now is apparent. Whatever the excuses are, Republicans have failed to be the vying party of the black community. It shouldn’t be an either or of which party has blacks. Black people should be represented in both and our vote should be always fought for like anyone else. Democrat lies are in the results we see. If people say republicans don’t not care for us, show me where dems do. The CRA isn’t forgotten but was 60 years ago. What has been achieved lately? Obama? Just like everything else political, he wasn’t the hope everyone thought he’d be. That doesn’t take away from his historical election, it just means that someone’s skin color isn’t all they need to fix a country. Black history isn’t just the good parts but the bad as well.
MLK wasn’t just a peaceful Christian civil rights leader. He was also a fallible human being.However, nothing negative about MLK’s personal life takes away from his accomplishments. We just need to stop seeing certain idols through rose-colored glasses. Martin Luther King Jr flirted with socialism even though the right today wants to say he was a republican. He wasn’t against using gov’t to get things done. We never know if he would’ve fully continued pushing just pro-capitalist ideals or falling for the socialist marketing. We were not privy because of his assassination.
Black History is the many successful individuals who face hard times, discrimination and blatant racism and managed to still achieve. Black History is also the history we cover up, like the infighting among educated blacks and those who weren’t. The infighting of colorism from slavery and how black people internally challenge each other by tone of skin and treat one another differently. The fight for a Black only state or packing our things up and moving to Africa. The problems we have with African immigrants today and the disproportionate successes or failures they possess. The hardships black men and women have with each other. How some blacks shame each other if we all don’t follow the same politics, religious beliefs, or celebrities. How Black America does the same things and expect different results.
Black History is American history and should not be regulated to a month. What our people have been through and achieved are stories that all people of all races, ethnicities and nationalities can share and be proud of today and every day. Black History isn’t February and a box to check off every year. It is the daily lives of millions of hardworking people that may go unrecognized but still matter.
