By DWIGHT HOBBES
What”™s the big deal? Why did we need a whole month for the history of black folk? After all, nobody else gets one.
Well, for openers, calm down and console yourself that at least it was the shortest month of the year. Then, consider. Were American History college and grade school classes honest about chronicling what white people did – actually, what they didn”™t do ”“ the record would already have been set straight. Which isn”™t merely a matter of recording facts for facts”™ sake. More than being about data, as Marcus Garvey stated and Dick Gregory quoted, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Crucially, youngsters denied that knowledge have little to foster self-esteem outside models mainstream media provides, largely in sports and entertainment ”“ this includes the sorry spectacle of thug rappers brandishing a lifestyle kids blindly believe will take them from the streets to riches and fame but lands legions behind bars in a revolving door industry.
Even aside from that, why not put truth to the historic lie that Caucasians and Caucasians alone made this nation what it is? Unless, of course, you can only feel good about yourself as some sort of master race by looking down on someone else as being inherently less than? Which, face it, is what fueled the genocidal doctrine of Manifest Destiny and nearly exterminated the Natives to whom this country actually belongs. If the Trump the Chump truly has a problem with illegal aliens, guess which group should be first to go?
Don”™t take my word for any of this. Look up, online and absolutely free of charge at You Tube, Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed, a 1968 CBS documentary, narrated by Bill Cosby, written by Andy Rooney ”“ yes that Andy Rooney ”“ and Perry Wolf (no directing credit noted). Indeed, had white historians not so diligently lied and disguised facts, there”™d be no cause for African Americans to have our contributions counted. That, in and of itself, reasonably states the case for celebrating Black History Month.
