We are the most disrespected ethnicity, race and culture in the world. Don’t believe me? Challenge me and show me different. You won’t be able to, but hey! It’s worth an effort!
This is Black History Month! A month that the powers that be decided to sit aside so that Black people won’t feel excluded. While it is the shortest month of the year, it was the only month that we got to learn about KWANZAA and its seven principles:
- Umoja (unity)
- Kujichagulia (self-determination)
- Ujima(collective work and responsibility),
- Ujamaa(cooperative economics)
- Nia (purpose)
- Kuumba (creativity)
- Imani (faith).
I can remember a time where we not only learned about our history and culture, but we learned the importance of celebrating it.
We would only get feed the most poignant or palatable heroes of our history, such as, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (who represented peace); Malcolm X (who is PORTRAYED as someone who represented violence); Harriet Tubman(who freed slaves, but they PORTRAYED her as an ‘unruly Negro’); Booker T. Washington ( who they PORTRAYED as too much of an educated Negro); George Washington Carver (whom the powers that seemed to be upset about the invention of peanut butter due to their allergies).
Do you ever wonder why we don’t hear about the Black man that was responsible for the USPS being started shipping himself in a box to get white people to believe in his vision and plan?
Do you ever wonder why we don’t hear about all our unsung heroes and ancestors who have paved the way to be able to write about these things and NOT be lynched or hung because n—-grs aren’t supposed to know how to read or write?
Have you wondered what happened to us that we stopped talking about these things in our homes? When the schools basically told us we could no longer talk about it because it would ‘offend’ other religions, or challenge opinions and the institution would be held liable?
At my job, we celebrate other ethnicities, diversities and cultures. They celebrate who they are; where they come from; what they have gone through (as a people and a culture)and where they are going. Even down to the food they cook!
The world that we live in can celebrate their cultures, have parades and carnivals, but what about us? Our ancestors built this country and we don’t even get to have a potluck. Hispanics get Cinco De Mayo; Asian-Americans have their own New Year celebrations; The Jewish people celebrate their freedom from Egyptian slavery and surviving the Holocaust; Caucasians get President’s Day,Columbus day, all the national holidays including the Fourth of July!
What about us?
We get 28 days of the same regurgitated heroes they have been talking about for years. Or an email letting us know it’s Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. Why wait!
Why wait for permission to celebrate who we are and the way our ancestors paved the way for us?
Why wait for someone to tell us is it okay to congratulate ourselves about who we are, were we come from, and where we are going?
Why wait for the system to gives us a Wakanda when we can do it ourselves?
Why wait for approval/acceptance from other ethnicities?
Wouldn’t it be great if we have a celebratory weekend? Every year our people could do workshops or promoting learning about our culture? Us coming together and remember our ancestors as well as having fun?
What about having an African American Unity Awards?These awards would not only acknowledge those that came before us, but those who are continuing to pave the way for our future generations!
Why not celebrate who we will become?
If the American economy can benefit from 1.25 trillion dollars off of the Black community, how come we can’t accomplish this?
How come we can’t take that money and open our own shops; pharmacies; schools; hospitals; gas stations and grocery stores. Our ancestors have done it before!
They showed us that we can do it again.
The Ideal Firestarter 