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Black History Month
17 years ago
"People get ready, there's a train a-comin'".
- Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions
- Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions
So, here at my school, I've found something quite disturbing...there is absolutely NOTHING up on campus to celebrate Black History Month! NOTHING!!!! And I'm not offended as a black man, or the fact that there are no remnants of acknowlwdgement, but I am offended that: a) Not many even realized that it's Black History Month, and b) They didn't seem to care. February is a month to celebrate the history and the struggles, as well as the triumphs, of both notable black leaders and little-known individuals. Everybody knows about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., but do you know about Sojourner Truth? Or the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing?
I don't mean to sound confrontational, because I'm really not. I guess I'm just sick and tired of how Anglo-Saxon Eurocentric the Western world is. And that's not even a bad thing! The problem arises when all that people seem to think about in black culture is rappers, and drug-dealers, gangs and sports. Not only are some of these aspects negative, but that's all some people focus on. There's so much more to us than that!
I don't mean to preach...all I'm asking is for someone to take the time to do some research. Black history is intruging once you delve past what everyone thinks they know about Martin Luther King Jr. Any history can be intruging.
Thank you for reading my little rant, and Happy Black History Month! Go tell somebody!
P.S. Did you know that Charles Drew, a black man, discovered a process that separaes the liquid red blood cells from the plasma and, by freezing the two separately, the blood could be preserved and reconstituted at a later date? This resulted in the invention of the blood bank.
I don't mean to sound confrontational, because I'm really not. I guess I'm just sick and tired of how Anglo-Saxon Eurocentric the Western world is. And that's not even a bad thing! The problem arises when all that people seem to think about in black culture is rappers, and drug-dealers, gangs and sports. Not only are some of these aspects negative, but that's all some people focus on. There's so much more to us than that!
I don't mean to preach...all I'm asking is for someone to take the time to do some research. Black history is intruging once you delve past what everyone thinks they know about Martin Luther King Jr. Any history can be intruging.
Thank you for reading my little rant, and Happy Black History Month! Go tell somebody!
P.S. Did you know that Charles Drew, a black man, discovered a process that separaes the liquid red blood cells from the plasma and, by freezing the two separately, the blood could be preserved and reconstituted at a later date? This resulted in the invention of the blood bank.
Chem and I were just talking about this subject the other day. We kind of feel that BHM has become something rather redundant and its meaning has been lost - at least in the public eye. I mean, do not get me wrong, I think that Rosa parks and Martin Luther King Jr. CLEARLY deserve their props but there are a LOT of other important black persons who have made contributions to society that we, as a modern world, simply could not live without.
I think this month should bring the little known men and women forward. That way kids know that it's not just the big guns that are important.
=)
You should really write an article or something.
I've always thought about it. Awhile back, my church got a historical quilt made to resemble one from the times of the slave trade. Each panel had a design which represented a different message that the slaves would read and understand. These are some of the patterns:
- Log Cabin - This symbol indicated that a person was safe to talk to. An alternative message: Seek shelter
- Wagon Wheel Pack up the wagon or prepare to board the wagon to begin the escape.
- Bear's Paw -Follow the path made by bear tracks, a mountain trail to get to water and food.
- Bowtie - Disguise yourself or change clothes.
- Drunkard's Path - Avoid being followed. Walk in a zig-zag path.
This is all in a book called "Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad"by historian Jacqueline Tobin and African American art historian and quilter Raymond G. Dobard. It is very interesting, if you wish to check it out. Anyway, that quilt sort of inspired me to do more research into black history. Wow, this post is kinda long...sorry =P