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Use Black History Month To Evolve
February 24, 2015
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The year is already whizzing by; this is the last week of February and of Black History Month. I'm wrapping up a month of doing my part to keep the focus on past accomplishments and struggles of African-Americans. If a society wipes away its past, people are forgotten, the pages of the future are slanted, and the heritage of people can be vaporized into the annuals of time. Black History Month is an American time to keep the records straight for all Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King's "Urgency of Now" really means for us to keep our eye on the ball and not let anyone be denied a part of history.
Don't Fall For Conversational Distractions
I want everyone for the rest of the year to do their part in keeping things moving forward. There are going to be debates over politics, racial exclusion, religious doctrine, diversity, equal pay, higher wages, the right to life, war, terminology, veteran rights, unemployment, social media, global warming, technology, legalization of marijuana, political scandal, the continued re-adjustment of the music industry, social inequality, gay marriage, Unions, Wi-Fi, programmed radio drones, incarceration, fashion, the stock market, the Middle East, Putin, sports and things which have not yet entered our conscious awareness. The goal for all of us is to continue to build on the successes and not forget the mistakes. We need to make sure everything is documented accurately for future generations, the pros and the cons. It is up to us to beat down the extremist on the left and the right for a true perspective of the human condition. Black History Month has a profound effect on many social and economic levels.
Some Try Using Labels To Stir The Pot
It is important to never let a label define you. In the early 1800s, German anthropologist Friedrich Blumenbach divided Homo sapiens into five distinct races based on their physical characteristics. There was the Mongolian, or "yellow" race, the red American race, the brown Malayan race, the black Ethiopian race, and the white Caucasian race. He categorized but did not set up a hierarchy based on any of his work. This bit of history is brought up from time to time and presented out of context in an attempt to distort and paint pictures of minorities being less than.
Every American comes from a proud heritage, it's up to the lineage of every race to acknowledge and use it to help push each other past the ignorance of the few who try to influence the many into "us against them mentality."
Everyone Benefits
The celebration of Black History Month has inspired many to achieve many things and has been responsible for others to realign their thinking concerning African-Americans. It has even sparked other races to search for more information concerning their heritage.
Growth Comes from Reinforcement
It has been a period of growth for African-Americans to see past accomplishments previously undocumented finally recognized by history. If we were to simply allow ourselves to be brainwashed by the bombardment of woe and strife presented by national media, you would think the lives of the majority of African-Americans and minorities were filled with despair. Unfortunately this kind of emphasis makes for better ratings, but a harmful side effect to the big picture of self-esteem for African-Americans and Americans. Especially the youth, everyone needs heroes. This one month of positive reinforcement does wonders for the overall cultural awareness for the entire country.
It Gets A Little Better Every Day
It is always eye-opening for me to see African-American and minority faces on TV talk shows and webinars as experts concerning a variety of businesses and technologies. These are the kinds of things that reset the mental framework of so many. It has the same effect beginning back in the late '80s on MTV with so many Black artists performing in videos. It becomes part of the norm and it keeps a good portion of the nation growing in the right direction. Black History Month is more than a history of a people; it's a GPS to level the playing field for a lot of Americans in a variety of ways.
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