Sir Edmond Borke once said: “Those who don’t know history arer destined to repeat it.” With this in mind, I reflected on my past, a similar path to what many of you have traveled. As a little Negro girl born and reared in the South in a cesspool of overt ignorance, bitterness, hatred, and outright racism, I was taught to love God, to do unto others as I would have them do unto me, and I was also taught invaluable techniques for survival in such a horrid environment. Along the way, I was victimized by the “Colored” and “White” water fountains; riding in the back of the bus; having to use the bathroom prior to going downtown to shop, because there might not be a restroom to accommodate me; eating before leaving home or being certain to carry a sandwich along to prevent inevitable hunger pains, because we could not enter a restaurant or be served at a lunch counter.
Those adjustments were necessary, due to the unjust laws in our “America the Beautiful.” I can remember so very well, when I would witness blatant racial discrimination, express my sentiments very quietly or swallow my pride and not reference it at all. I believe in and support our Constitution as the cornerstone of our democracy. I believe we need to embrace our allegiance, and hone the spirit of equality; to be ever fair, ever good, and vehemently devour hypocrisy; and, prohibit its inhabitants from tainting its beauty with obscure immorality.
Although many of our laws have been modified to be held in high regard, there is yet an enormous amount of toxic minds that employ a reckless disregard. It has been avowed that it is no longer necessary to celebrate Black History Month or to sing the anthem “We Shall Overcome.” Because, a Black man is president shows that we have overcome. Conversely, it is my perspective as a proud Black woman, that the cause for the celebration will never grow old; and, its significance must be fervently echoed to keep it in the fold. Perpetual racism divulges that enough is enough. But, when I convey my discontent, I’m often told that I’m being a little too tough. So, for better clarification, I will articulate my rationale in rhyme.
Why Black History Month should be widely respected and vigorously celebrated to the end of time.
Our life’s journey in the Motherland allowed us a free spirit, with a yearning to learn.
Until one day, formidable acts of torment forced us to enter the door of no return;
Our arduous voyage to the Americas was unwelcomed indeed,
As determination and drive gave us the strong will to succeed;
We were arrogantly dehumanized with little to no exception,
And we were compelled to fulfill our duties without obvious deception;
With a great sense of pride among us, and a longing to sustain,
We did everything in our power to simply adjust and not complain;
The struggle made it considerably difficult for immediate adjustment,
But, with God’s help, we forged ahead as we strived for advancement;
Heartfelt degradation was applied with a small degree of fuss;
Thus, it made our level of progress appear nil or highly oblivious.
Greed and profits were the main motives in mind;
And, seldom was compassion displayed in kind.
While honor, worth and prestige became the order of the day;
Hardship was a constant and was demonstrated without fairplay,
The transition was stressful, an unbearable reality,
For the survivors of the voyage experienced a senseless inequity;
‘They were the keepers of the Dream.”
African Americans are a strong, proud people and products of a rich legacy;
Therefore, we must never allow others to make us feel inferior, because of their incurable jealousy,
Motivation, innovation and collaboration are descriptive of ourancestral tradition;
Influenced by nobility, pride, dignity and a uniquely spiritual intuition,
We are kings, queens, conquerors, and the ultimate royalty,
And, we possess the fortitude to make all dreams a reality;
Innately, our hearts ring out with kindness and love for our nation,
To be countered by hate, anger, envy and inhumane humiliation;
Historically, we have been scorned, abused and placed in astate of dismal isolation,
We have been ignored, and oft times forced into a mere brink of desolation;
We were crowned with an astonishing spirituality,
For our gifts blaze the trail with our individual genius and originality;
We laugh, we joke, we sing, we dance and we often clown around,
To be reminded daily of the ruthless institutionalized bound;
Our inborn wisdom has instilled in us our strong will to innovate,
While others feel an enormous need and absurd desire to emulate;
The enormous contributions of Blacks, in these United Statesof America,
Are representative of the unmitigated genius that we broughtwith us from Africa.
We have contributed notably to this country in all areas—education, sports, entertainment, arts, science, entrepreneurship, and politics as well,
Though many deemed the transformation so unfair, they decided to rebel;
Numerous contributions by African Americans have been obviously recognized while others appeared absolutely ignored.
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