Pasadena Black History Month Magazine - February 2023 | Pages 17 & 18
POLITICAL GUMBO
MAKE SOME HISTORY BY LEARNING YOUR HISTORY
And yep, this clown could be the next president.
Voting, thaCs also part of Black History.
At this time, Black History month should not only continue, but schools across the country should commit to properly teaching Black History in schools.
I have no idea what PUSD is doing now in the classroom in February.
But if it's what I got as a kid it's sorely lacking. The history book had a few pages on Dr. King and that was about it.
So I went and got it from the library, my parents, my grandparents and other people who lived it.
Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, Muhammad Ali, slavery, Medgar Evans and countless other family and historical lessons expanded my world.
Black people explained Black history to me.
Not saying it has to be that way for all, but I was fortunate to come up in an era one generation removed from many of the battles my people faced.
In 1964, Jim Crow was still the law of the land in many parts of the deep south and King, MLK, the Black Panthers and others were not just on my 11/.
I had family members or extended family involved in every one of those movements.
"AT THIS TIME, BLACK HISTORY MONTH SHOULD NOT ONLY CONTINUE, BUT SCHOOLS ACCROSS THE COUNTRY SHOULD COMMIT TO PROPERLY TEACHING BLACK HISTORY IN SCHOOLS.
Yes, I said fortunate.
We were raised to embrace that struggle, the victories and the setbacks
"If a race has no history...it stands in danger of being exterminated -Carter woodson.
And that's why people attempt to whitewash Black history, to cover up the nation's role in the abominations men created against men all in an effort to form a more perfect union.
Look around.
How'd that work out?
We're more divided than ever.
And it's not just one side, it's both. Although it may not be a whitewashing, there are still young progressives trying to explain the Black Experience to Black people.
I didn't even watch the White Shadow when it was on TV or Diff'rent Strokes.
If you can't figure out why, well that's on you —not me.
"WERE MORE DIVIDED THAN EVER.
And yes I do believe every heritage should be celebrated and everybody should have a chance to understand where they come from and that history, including the obstacles,victories, heroes and villains and yes every culture has them.
In a perfect world vie would be tolerant enough to have a month allowing everyone to celebrate their history.
Yeah, but we're just not there yet.
"If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself, If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told,. and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one." — Carter Woodson.