***This was written on February 29, 2008***
Dear Journal,
Today is the last day of Black History Month for the year of 2008. I was thinking about this day today and talked about Black History Month with 3 friends of mine. I have a question: Why should Black History be recognized and appreciated only in the month of February? Why do we take the time to learn about Black History facts only in February? Why not learn about Black History facts throughout the entire year? Think of the message that we are sending to the world. We are saying that Black History is to be recognized for one month and one month only; the shortest month of the year if I may add. The purpose of Black History is to celebrate a nation that changed the face of the world. Ira Aldridge traveled all over Europe as an actor and performed in front of many people including kings and queens, princes and princesses. Jean Baptise Du Sable, although he originally did not receive any credit for it, was the founder of Chicago, Illinois. These are just 2 examples of how Black people changed the world.
As I said earlier, Black History is not supposed to celebrate Black people in general, but it’s supposed to celebrate a nation that changed the face of the world THAT HAPPENED to be Black. With that being said, allow me to propose to you another question, Journal: How come some people believe that Black History is only ABOUT Black people FOR Black people? Why is it that some people believe that Black History is not important for them to learn simply because they’re not Black? What about White Americans that contributed to African-American History? What about people like John Brown? Or how about Abraham Lincoln? And there were many White Americans that were abolitionists during slavery. Many White Americans also did not agree with racial segregation or discrimination, and fought to have it abolished. Why can we not simply celebrate a culture of peculiar people that God chose to prove strong despite what they went through?
As I was talking to my 3 friends today, we talked about how some people would vote for Obama for the 2008 Presidential elections because he’s Black. One said that he may even get shot after he’s elected, if he’s elected, because he’s Black. “A lot of people are discriminate against Black people,” I believe someone said. I said that we as Black people discriminate ourselves because we are Black. But why? How come today’s African-Americans believe there are certain things we can and cannot do because we’re Black? In the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s, African-Americans had to play stereotypes to star in movies and television shows. What we don’t realize, because we’ve learned to accept it, is that Blacks are still playing stereotypes today. The only difference is that today’s stereotypes are realistic because we as humans have become those stereotypes. African-American males have become thugs, gangsters, pimps, drug dealers, and baby daddies. African-American women have played the roles of hoochies and hoes. What impression are we leaving on our African-American children? They are going to believe that these are the roles of life that they have to play. Success is not a “White” thing! Many people have said in my life that “Success is when preparation meets opportunity”. Proverbs 22:6 reads, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” If all of this is true, then that means that it’s only a matter of time until God gives me my opportunity to become successful! BOOYIKA!
(c) February 2008, B.I.B. Productions
(P) BOOYIKA!, Inc.
Bro. B.I.B. 