015. Black History Month

Episode 015: Black History Month.

What is Black History Month and why is it celebrated? 

Black History Month (originally known as African-American Heritage Month) really dates back to 1915 when Carter G. Woodson, known as the ‘Father of Black History’ and the pioneer of African American studies in the early 20th century, created an organization called the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. 

And in 1926, Woodson initiated the first Negro History Week in February, specifically because of two significant birthdays: Frederick Douglass (February 14) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12). The main focus of the Negro History Week was to encourage the teaching of the history of Black Americans in educational institutes, particularly at the primary level. However, most school systems around the country ignored the curriculum or denied the need to teach it.

However, more than 40 years later, in 1969, Black educators and students at Kent State University in Ohio proposed a month-long observance to reflect on more than 400 years of American African history and heritage that have shaped the American culture, and the first Black History Month took place one year later in 1970. And by 1976, Black History Month was widely being celebrated across the country, and not only in schools, but in colleges, and community centers.

 I’m torn. Does it matter? Does it truly matter? Black History Month began as a way to remember significant people and events. But we are still mistreated or treated as 3rd class citizens in the USA. And I feel, that as punishment for helping to elect our first Black President, the USA is going backwards; actually retreating into the Jim Crow era or worse...

You see, I never watched the George Floyd video, nor did I watch the Ahmaud Arbery video or any of the others or the trials – or even the Rodney King beating - because I see the killings and the brutality in my nightmares. I saw it as a child growing up in the 60s and every year that has passed since, I was even a victim a time or two (and survived, obviously) but no thanks to the racist cops that I met driving while Black. It just added to the PTSD I’ve been suffering since childhood. And obviously, absolutely nothing has changed a half-century later.

So to me, Black History Month (year, century, millennium), it does not matter any more. It never did, really. I mean, I appreciate what the month was supposed to do and I appreciate the allies that stop by to express their opinions online, in emails, and in videos, the conversations that sparked better representation, identity, and diversity in America’s history but… as long as we are feared, they will never stop hunting us and hating us.

I watched a young poet’s video the other night, Kyla Jenee Lacey, and it made me tear up. Here’s some of what she had to say: We learned your French, we learned your English, we learned your Spanish. We learned your Dutch, your Portuguese, your German. You learned our nothing, yet you call us stupid...

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Does it matter?
Does it truly matter?
Black history month began as away to remember significant
people and events, but we arestill mistreated or treated as

(03:19):
third class citizens in the USA.
And I feel that as punishmentfor helping to elect our first
black president, the USA isgoing backwards, actually
retreating into the Jim Crow eraor worse.
I can't remember which famousguru.

(03:39):
Mentioned online that he couldnot find black talent for
management positions in hiscompany.
And somebody wrote back, stoppedlooking at Harvard Howard
university has beaten Harvard inthe Bates.
How many years in a row now?
Seriously, I try not to regretmuch, but I really regret not

(04:00):
going to an HBCU, which ishistorically black colleges and
universities.
I recently accidentally watcheda video on Instagram where two
young boys were fighting in amall.
The mall cops immediately threwthe black boy on the ground and
handcuffed them while they letthe white boys sit and rest.

(04:22):
It doesn't matter who startedit, but it definitely matters
how it ended.
The mall.
Cops are currently being quoteunquote investigated, right?
They're probably on paid leaveand we'll be back on the job
next week.
Well, honestly, I hope thatevery black and brown parent

(04:43):
will not patronize that mallagain or that their children
anywhere near it.
That is how we should protest,pull our money out and put it to
good use elsewhere.
Stop going, where they fakesmile at you when you enter then
watching like a Hawk because ofthe color of your skin while a
white girl.
Stills from the racks and walkedout the door, boulders brass

(05:08):
it's happened.
I've seen it happen and reportedit.
Nothing changed, nothing reallychanged.
And I'm tired.
I'm tired, tired and scared.
You see, I never watched theGeorge Floyd videos nor did I
watched the Ahmad.

(05:30):
Videos or the others or thetrials, or even the Rodney king
beatings, because I see thekillings and the brutality in my
nightmares.
I saw it as a child growing upin the sixties.
And every year that has passedsince I was even a victim of it
a time or two and survivedobviously.

(05:51):
But no, thanks to the racistcops that I met driving while
black, it just added to thePTSD.
I've been suffering sincechildhood and obviously
absolutely nothing has changed.
I half a century later.
So to me, black history month,year, century millennium, it

(06:13):
doesn't matter anymore.
It never did really.
I mean, I appreciate what themonth was supposed to do.
And I appreciate the allies thatstopped by to express their
opinions online and emails andabout.
The conversations that sparkedbetter representation, identity,
and diversity.
But as long as we are fearednote, this is taught in the

(06:38):
homes.
They will never stop hunting usand hating us.
I watched a young poets videothe other night, Kyla, Janae,
Lacey, and it made me.
At young lady had so much to sayand three and a half minutes
that it's worth a listen.

(07:00):
Here's some of what she had tosay.
We learned your French.
We learned your English.
We learned your Spanish.
We learned your Dutch, yourPortuguese, your German.
You learned our nothing.
Yet.
You call us stupid.
That's white privilege.
What is white privilege?
It is only the five decades oflegal acknowledgment expected to

(07:25):
correct 400 years of whitetransgression.
It's blacks receiving almost 20%longer sentences for the same
exact offenses.
It's a black man without arecord that is less likely to
get a job than a white felon.
It is the only time thousands ofwhite people are cheering for

(07:47):
the black.
To win is in a stadium that'swhite privilege.
She had so much to say it'sdefinitely worth a listen.
And speaking of black kids andstadiums, I used to love
everything about the NFL and myPittsburgh Steelers until Colin
Kaepernick took a knee.

(08:08):
Then the real slave ownersraised their ugly heads and I
gave away all of my Steelerparaphernalia and trashed any
NFL.
I haven't watched a game or ahighlight or a sports commentary
since I now have better thingsto do with my Sundays, Monday
and Thursday nights, or wheneverthe NFL is on television.

(08:32):
And despite the commissionersnon-apology to call-in and black
people everywhere, nothing haschanged.
Colin is still considered anoutlaw enemy.
Number one, because heembarrassed the slave masters in
public and they made it aboutthe flag and not what it really

(08:53):
was about.
Nonetheless, with as much blackhistory, as you can squeeze into
28 days, I still feel that theblack woman is the most
de-humanized and sexualized.
We were at the bottom of everyscale, as far as acceptance our
overall appearance andespecially our hairstyles, the

(09:16):
workplace corporate ladder insalary wise, that's obvious
relationship status, mostly ourfault, but it is, and always has
been part of systemic racism toseparate our families, et
cetera.
Yet black women are thenurturers of the world.

(09:36):
Our female ancestors werekidnapped and slaves raped, and
then expect it to love and raisethe white child above their own
flesh and blood.
They had to turn their backs ontheir own children because the
probability of them being stowedaway to others was a real thing.
A real, real thing.
I can't imagine the heartbreak.

(09:57):
And so they went numb to theirown offspring.
This just be strong above all.
Don't let them see your tears.
BS has been passed down fromgeneration to generation and it
has helped no one.
We need to show our pain and ourfrustration, regardless of being
labeled an angry black person,otherwise they will continue to

(10:22):
ignore it as they have done for400 years.
So while black history monthlifts our people up for a few
short February, There's still somuch hatred in the USA to tear
it all down again.
In March, you can't be a queenif you've never ruled.
And that means seeing the truthand doing something about it.

(10:46):
What's that old saying?
If someone shows you who theyare, believe them, why try to
change someone or something thatis broken?
Why not change yourself and, oryour situation traveling abroad
with an open mind?
Should make you empathize withother cultures and should make

(11:06):
you realize that you don't haveto accept the mess that's going
on in the U S for the last 400years, especially if you go to
the motherland Africa and visitsome of the slave castles and
other monuments erected to showthe will of our people to
survive the infamy, the realugly truth.

(11:27):
Can't be changed by the time.
It can be softened, but it can'tbe changed.
So be the queen who decides thatif she already has children or
will have children in thefuture, she will raise them
elsewhere.
What all does America have onyou?
The answer should be nothing andno one.

(11:49):
Please know that you don't haveto stay and be stuck in the U S.
You don't have to accept yourcurrent role as a sub level
human being with a big buttbirthing hips and a backbone
that built this country from theground up.
Be the queen that removesherself from a place full of
pain and sorrow and fear andhatred.

(12:11):
There's a whole world out therewaiting for you to come live in
it.
Be it's foundational andbuilding.
There's definitely racism in therest of the world, but we're not
hunted like animals as we are inthe USA.
So love yourself and your futureenough to do something about it.