Beginning with the relatively recent National observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in mid January through the month of February our nation has become increasingly flooded with Black History facts and trivia formerly unheard of. It is most unfortunate that hundreds of years of such critical historical data still remains basically unknown but for that crammed mostly into the month of February.
It originally began with the initiation of Negro History Week in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, referred to as “the Father of Black History.” It has taken nearly three-quarters of a century to extend promotion of such valuable information to one month. Perhaps we are finally on the right track toward incorporating Black History into its rightful place in History!
“Most current theories of human development are based on the works of American and Western European scientists and therefore reflect study of the White, middle-class (and mostly male) population-–a minority of the human beings on the planet!” we read in a Core Curriculum training book for Spiritual Education. “These studies largely reflect the population groups immediately surrounding the scientists themselves.”
Historically we complacently accept constant reference to Blacks and others as minorities while the non-White population of the earth far exceeds the White population –and always has since man’s beginning along the equator where a minimum amount of heat and effort was required for survival.
Also subliminally inferred with the term minority automatically comes inferiority, a point that far too many Blacks choose to argue while the Japanese and other immigrants entering this United Nation choose to tenaciously prove untrue!
We have also been people-programmed to think that different has to be better or worse; right or wrong and therefore tend to resist rather than respect differences in people and/or opinions, feeling threatened by both.
For those who feel overwhelmed by 6-weeks of Black History, try to imagine the situation in reverse–not only being spoon-fed hundreds of years of White History–or as Tony Brown puts it,”Lies agreed upon”) but centuries of White superiority that continues to be ingrained in our minds to date!
I also believe that Tony Brown is on target with his assertion that far too many American Blacks do not respect themselves. That’s why we don’t like, and have problems respecting others. It also explains why we go to such lengths to trace our genetic identity (or roots) to Africa–or to something we feel we can take pride in.
Why can’t American Blacks accept (and take pride in the fact) that we are the original race (before becoming mixed with others) with roots in every direction! This does not only mean that we should have more pride but also less prejudice!
If we were to place less emphasis on our genetic roots and those things that divide us, and more emphasis on our Spiritual roots and the things which UNITE us, we would find ourselves spiritually elevated above all of the occidentals and incidentals on which we base our multiple prejudices and come together in Love and mutual respect as citizens of One World and members of One Race–the human race! (Investigate! – 1-800-22-UNITE)
