African American History Month!
Updated: Aug 14, 2020
As most people in the United States know, February is African American History Month or better known as Black History Month. I prefer the former title because all black history is not US/American history and the historical focus should be about African Americans in the history of this nation.
Being an African American, I have invested a lot of time learning my racial and cultural back story but I realize other ethnicities may be sorely lacking in this knowledge because traditional history books are characteristically negligent, erroneous or void of most pertinent historical facts and events of African Americans. Let me state here that African American History is not the only American history that has been intentionally ignored, diminished or wrongly written. Information about other minorities in this country's history had also been rewritten and ignored. I believe everyone should have some degree of pride in their ancestry and culture...and I do mean everyone. So this month I urge everyone, not just blacks to delve into a little history beyond the norm of MLK, slavery or former president, Barack Obama. Dig deep into some of the lesser known events and facts of my people. Trust me, it's a deep well that shows the good, bad and ugly of this wonderful country but also the growth and willingness of many people in the United States to politically and socially do better and be better.
Th pride I have in being an African American is founded on not the ugly origins of my ancestors being brought here in enslavement but the strength and endurance they showed. They survived enslavement by the mercies of God and when allowed, flourished in every area. Our history is every bit American history as much as the revolutionary war or making of the flag. We have woven our threads into every single aspect of this nation; greatness, victories and defeats. I am blessed to see it in my personal family's history as well as in all African American history.