It’s just history, world history, everybody’s history and must be treated as such, a historic norm. Much like “Perennial Philosophy” “European” or other history… there are always lessons to be learned; they are pe-rennial, and always in progress…
Black history defies description or interpretation.
Naturally, a good part of my 28 days’ season of Black History Month 2021 were spent listening to various radio programs — Canadian and US alike — all of which featured multiple conversations and discussions about the subject of the month.
And something dawned on me: the abundance of Black oriented (BHM 2021) talk was exceptional. I’ve never heard so much discussion about blackness in any previous year. Perhaps it’s an indication that the “change…” Sam Cooke sang about a couple or few generations ago is finally coming…?
But according to the old adage, “…Change takes time.” And some people natu-rally add, “I don’t have the time to wait for change. Seems like it’s always com-ing…”
But given the historic social dynamics many of us have observed up to now, it’s a realization that BHM has merit, is being taken more seriously by increasing num-bers of people… of different persuasions as time passes.
But I do see change; which is coming as a result of singular or collective human sacrifice. That notwithstanding, I ironically can’t be overly optimistic, in spite of my “optimism bias” or nature.
There are still some people among us whom on any given day I sometimes cross paths with, and given their quizzical looks, or sometimes furtive glances, I truly believe they continue to view me, and by extension the collective “US” as a racial or human species anomaly.
But then I chalk it up to social dynamics, and us as that segment of a broader human collective just getting on with our collective lives and historically viewed as an aberration, perhaps?
And some people out of touch with reality remain mentally steeped in their skewed thinking… As such the need for a broader and more inclusive academic (less non-European-based) curriculum.
Which is why, when I listened to CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks (quirks@cbc.ca), a few weeks ago, a bi-weekly hour-long Science-oriented program, I felt like I was in a classroom being lectured by multiple professors… in the field of Science. The subject, Blacks In Science, was interesting, revealing, educational…
If you’re interested in hearing that particular broadcast/podcast just Google CBC and follow directions. Also log into archives, the subject is Blacks In Science.
Simply check out the CBC 88.5 Montreal archives, for Blacks in Science and many other interesting programs…
When that program concluded I couldn’t help thinking: Carter G. Woodson didn’t necessarily expect the history of Black/African peoples to be pigeonholed, merely relegated (permanently) to a month-long period of informing and educating…
Like most other peoples living around the world, Black History is not a short-lived event, not an annual February, 28-or 29-day mental exercise to convince “supe-rior peoples” that our history merits just those few weeks to fully learn, compre-hend or master. Our history, after all, transcends Slavery and its associated common clichés.
And while Africa is the origin of Black people; there’s also a massive and varied Black diaspora. Food for thought…
And by the way, Black singularity just won’t cut it. History as well as some of our singular and collective experiences recurrently show that.
Our daily experiences has revealed to us that “United we stand…”
BLACK HISTORY MONTH transcends the singular subject of “racism” or the dual “Slavery and Racism” although one is the natural result of the other (a sort of symbiotic relationship) compounded by all the other human-made obstacles that were created along the generational path when “they” conspired to keep us in our place, and continue to effectively use to keep us right where [they think] we be-long.
And by the way, Black singularity just won’t cut it; Our [BLACK) History as well as some of our singular and collective experiences recurrently show that.
Another thing I did for BHM 21 was (re)watch a few PBS documentaries.
If you haven’t before, or yet, check 400 Years: Taking The Knee. The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. And there’re more I’m sure I haven’t seen.
All important and interesting television programs: documentaries, group discus-sions and conversations, all of which tended to deal with a gamut of issues of socio-political import to Black people (a.k.a people of African lineage).
But [One has to be careful here. Not all Black people are comfortable with the de-scription/designation — “African anything” or the colour BLACK — But I see what I see; vision and truth don’t lie, or cannot be questioned.]
But some of us have come to embrace the colour Black in reference to people of African descent. So let’s just live and learn.
And here’s hoping that Black History, especially in classrooms at all levels of education and learning will ultimately be given its due respect by becoming the norm.
Another thing I did for BHM 21 was (re)watch some documentaries our any given day, as well as watching some very interesting television programs: in-cluding documentaries, group discussions and conversations, all of which tended to deal with a gamut of issues of socio-political import to Black people (a.k.a people of African lineage).
[One has to be careful here. Not all Black people are comfortable with the descrip-tion/designation — “African anything” or the colour BLACK — But 20/20 vision and truth don’t lie, or cannot be questioned.]
But some of us have come to embrace the colour Black in reference to people of African History: meaning “inquiry; knowledge acquired by investigation”) is the study of the past. … Historians seek to understand and represent the past through narra-tives. They often debate which narrative best explains an event, as well as the significance of different causes and effects.
Simply type any of the randomly selected names for different reasons, and watch reams of information fill your computer monitor. Randomly selected, some living, some departed, see how they impacted Black History…
Angela Davis, Oscar Peterson, Nina Simone, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Nelson Mandela, (Donald Trump, George Wallace — both pebbles in the shoes of Black people in the quest for basic civil/human rights…) Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Bob Marley, Clarence Ellis, John Carlos, Tommy Smith, Peter Norman, Bob Dylan, Ralph Waldo Ellison… Just a handful of names selected for different rea-sons… So many others that could’ve been selected.
Much like BLACK LIVES MATTER, so does BLACK HISTORY… through-out the year.
