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Coaches Corner: Black History Month: Take The Past & Expand On It ...
January 31, 2017
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History and time can take facts on a strange journey of rest stops and detours. Hopefully, enough objective historians and citizens pass along enough truths to offset the lies of the twisted. The best way to avoid mistakes of the past is to have subjective information from all angles.
Celebrating Black History Month is like being on an archeological dig; there are always new items to add to the continuing stories for African-Americans. Recent history has been cataloged well thanks to organizations keeping a watchful eye. The history of yesteryear is vital to aspirations, dreams, and motivations for African-Americans, minorities and the poor. That's why places like the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History & Cultural are so important; they can be thought provoking and provide a blueprint for future endeavors.
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Many people know the story of "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the early 20th century. The Greenwood area of town was home to several prominent black businessmen and had a variety of thriving businesses. It was a prosperous time until the less financially equipped White side of town started a fatal race riot in Greenwood.
But ... Did You Know ...
Fewer people know about the other Black Wall Street in Durham, NC. The main African-American residential district and two other districts served as the center of black life in Durham. In 1906, the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, the nation's largest black-owned insurance company, moved its headquarters to Parrish Street. It was soon joined by the Mechanics and Farmers Bank, and the founder of North Carolina Mutual also invested in real estate and textiles. Here's a video with Kelly Bryant, a retired officer of N.C. Mutual explaining how successful things were:
Teachable Black Wall Street Lessons...
Both Black Wall Streets were made possible because people united economically, set up clear lines of communication, and put education to good use. Because of today's technologies, the definition of community has expanded and is no longer restricted to a geographic location. One of my favorite things to tell others, "Take the past and expand on it." There are numerous new pockets of successes all around us, revisit stories like the two Black Wall Streets and create a workable vision of your own.
For More On Durham…The Other Black Wall Street, visit here.
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