February is not just the coldest and shortest month on our Gregorian calendar. It’s also the time to reflect on the contributions of a people whose genesis began in the vast continent of Africa. Although Black History should be celebrated 365 days a year, this is the month where we take pause to appreciate the prestigious and honorable contributions of Americans who were once considered “three-fifths of a person” in this country. In the beginning, these men, women and children were stolen from their homes and brought to foreign lands to be stripped of their identity, heritage and their history. Over time these people, above all odds, chose to fight for rights and basic human decency to create a vibrant and rich culture that today is revered and often imitated.Enslaved people from Africa were not just pushed into harsh labor and inhumane treatment to the rocky shores of North America. European colonists also exploited these people in the Caribbean islands of Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Dominican as well as South America. After 400 years of these cruel atrocities and another 100-plus years of repressive laws designed to maintain oppression, people of the Black diaspora still continue to battle for fair and equal treatment under the law.
Some like to argue that we now live in a post-racial society, that we shouldn’t be burdened with the sins of the forefathers because it teaches hate, resentment and makes children feel bad despite knowing, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” as George Santayana said.
Their belief is it’s better to bask in the glory of the accomplishments while treating the surrounding atrocious conditions of those very accomplishments as inconsequential. Often where a person sits will determine where they stand on the topics of the virulent treatment of Blacks in this country, but one thing is irrefutable: The countless contributions of Blacks in America and around the world continue to be a fixture in the…
