It’s Black History Month and it’s Heart health month! I don’t know about ya’ll but this saying pretty much sums up my mood right now! Ha ha! Next week is the Super Bowl and the NFL in its “wokeness” for the second year is going to do both the National Anthem and the Black National Anthem. Yeah folks are big time mad. You know what I say? So what!!! I’m going to keep this thing real. I’ve never understood being so evil towards a group of people then get mad cause you find out that we have our own anthem, our own schools, our own organizations, our own churches. Well excuuuuuuuuuse me!!! I’m sorry but the Constitution, ima say it again, the Constitution stated that we were only 3/5th of a human being!!!!! The National Anthem DID NOT APPLY TO MY ANCESTORS!!!! Ya’ll I’m on one today! Please refer back to the saying at the top!
A few weeks ago I shared Lift E’vry Voice and Sing to my kids for the first time (ya’ll don’t cancel me now). I’ve mentioned it before, but now they’re old enough that it matters. My daughter asked why it’s not taught in school. SN: I’m blown away by my daughter’s awareness. I was not that aware at 10. So I honestly told her that it’s because they didn’t know we even had one until a few years ago. That it’s traditionally sung at predominately black events. She said she was going to mention it to her music teacher. Stay tuned…..My daughter said something else that was profound after our discussion. She said, “We wouldn’t have to have our own stuff had they not treated us so unfairly!” Touche’! Touché’!
This month makes me proud. For once I get to see TV shows highlighted with people who look like me. I go to Target and see BOBs being highlighted. I get on the internet Google got black inventors. Michaels, Walmart, Oriental Trading, you name it. It’s everywhere!!! Ever since George Floyd, may he continue to RIP, the awareness has peaked. Companies have now figured out that blackness is profitable! Hmmmmm! Blackness has always been profitable. HELLO! SLAVERY!!! This country made trillions of dollars off of free labor. Not only that but African Americans are this nation’s biggest consumer. I digress…Back to what I was saying. Basically, you get to see all of those people whose contributions are forgotten the other 11 months out of the year featured during this month. Yes, I went there. Refer back to the top. Ha! ha!
Seriously though I do take pride during February. And I know it has a lot to do with just how we’re programmed but to actually have it acknowledged makes me proud. I’m not blind by the fact that it should be this way year round and I’m definitely not oblivious that it needs to be called American History. Pause for a minute on that thought. It cannot absolutely cannot be called American History until the word American actually stands for everyone! Let me say that again for the folks in the back! It cannot be called American History until the word American actually stands for everyone! Until then, it’s Black History and I take pride and ownership of it. And if it stays like that any longer I may not ever want it to change. Now don’t get me wrong I want our nation to be post racial. Absolutely! Where everyone can be themselves. No code switching, micro aggressions, natural coily, kinky hair is treated as beautiful as straight hair. Dark skin, light skin. All shades are beautiful! The whole nine! At that moment, I can let go. Until then…..yes you said it! Refer back to the saying at the top!!!!!
My all time favorite phrase during this month is, “It’s causing division. It shouldn’t be about race.” Okay, let’s talk about that for a moment. Statistically speaking my caucasian brothers and sisters (yes, I said it because I don’t hate anyone point blank period) are the most segregated group of people. Over 65% of them live in communities where there is no diversity. Hmmmmmmm! Sounds like deflecting to me! Bottom line is the mentioning of race is to bring up a past AND present that they don’t want to talk about. Why? Because then the admittance that the system in which their forefathers built IS indeed slighted towards them. It’s all about power. When it’s all good why disturb the water? Right? Ohhhh but we all need to heal! Not until it is admitted that the system is racist and then dismantled, which will never happen. Y’all this system is so deeply rooted that the mere mentioning of it will have devastating affects. Look at what happened when Nikole Hannah-Jones did the 1619 Project. Need I say more?
This month (and all other months) I want to see more stories being told. More Nikole Hannah-Joneses stepping out and telling the truth! It’s time! We also need to vote locally. Those are the ones making decisions to ban books like the 1619 Project. We need to change the narrative! Let’s make it count! Be at every meeting making your voices heard! Gather together as a community and do tutoring, extra curricular activities, coding so our children won’t get left behind. Pick them up and take them places outside of their community so they’ll understand that there’s a world out there that’s ready for them! Expand our minds! Learn another language! Dabble into the arts, the world is ours! Take pride in Black History Month and then turn it into pride 365! Our culture is precious, unique and needs to be preserved. Peace and Blessings! And always…….refer to the top!
BlackTeachingMama2 