As we reflect on and celebrate Black History, we also honor the contributions and sacrifices of our ancestors whose shoulders we stand on! One of the most notable is Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black history and culture. In 1926 he initiated and introduced Negro History Week, which was celebrated during the second week of February. By the late 1960's, Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month.
Black History Month has always been a time for celebration for me. I was raised with an immense sense of pride regarding Blackness. At home and throughout my elementary school education, I received constant positive reinforcement about what it meant to be a Black child and what a rich history and culture I come from. I attended a Chicago Public School in the 80s and early 90s, which had a 99% Black enrollment and nearly all Black teaching and administrative staff. Black history was simply history. The American experience was always presented as the Black experience. Continued...
In my myriad of thoughts regarding this special month which honors the excellence of our ancestors as much as it serves as a reminder of trials we've faced over the centuries. The opposing dualities build a sense of love and hope in me, as well as feelings of grief and loss. Studying our history in reading of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bessie Colman, Fredrick Douglass, Katherine Johnson, and many others... it instilled hope in a younger version of myself. And just as much as I would imagine journeying their stories as readers of history might do. I could not ignore what those very same ancestors had to endure and sacrifice to walk their own paths. Continued...
