Posted by JuJuan Buford
Sike. Still, Black History Month has to be more.
Black History, the history of people of African descent, the journey, in this country, and throughout the world has to be more than just an assembly of facts.
Mark Twain’s literary classic, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, should never, ever, never be edited. Why?
Black history is more than just an assembly of facts, but rather a narrative. Indeed, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did have a dream, but why was his dream necessary? What was the context? Why was El-Hajj Malik Shabazz, known by most as Brother Malcolm X angry? By the way, was Malcolm really angry? What was the nightmare he spoke of, and why did his choice to articulate the strivings and inner thoughts of a lot, a whole lot of people of African descent so unsettling?
Why did Martin and Malcolm endeavors begin to mirror each other?
See, when you are familiar with the context… if you know the answers to these questions, it’s impossible to be fooled by those who would use King’s famous speech as an epitaph against Affirmative Action. The hypocrisy of speaking King’s name, while at the same time declaring war on the poor and less fortunate becomes readily apparent.
Why were George Washington Carver’s contributions significant? So what he created peanut butter (I’m being facetious)! Who were the Tuskegee Airmen? I read about a riot that occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma back in 1921…a lot of people died, businesses were burned down to the ground, and some wealthy people found themselves pretty destitute when it was over.
Does it matter that Carver’s invaluable contributions to agricultural science flew in the face of those who argued that African Americans were intellectually inferior? Do our children need to know that the Tuskegee Airmen debunked not only misnomers regarding our intellect, but regarding our supposed inbred cowardice? Is it more amazing that many in this society still try to convince African Americans that they cannot run immensely successful enterprises and play by our own rules? Or is it more amazing that many of us believe we can’t? The existence of Black Wall Street has to be more than simply a fact.
Detroit.
How much time should families dedicate towards teaching their children that the history of mathematics began in Kemet, along the Nile Valley…and the people who lived there just happened to have some pretty dark hues. Mathematics. You know the basic underpinnings of scientific discovery and innovation. Yeah, black folks put that stuff down.
Our history, brothers and sisters, has to be about more than who won the last Soul Train, BET award for best recording artist. Our experience. Our contributions. Our narrative. Our story is so powerful, so phenomenal, so painful, so regal, so sad, so triumphant, and so astoundingly beautiful.
Michael Jackson really was bad.
Bad like, intelligent as hell. Bad like, competitive like Mike Tyson in his prime competitive. Bad like, one of the greatest artists in United States…no scratch that, world history. Mike was bad like, he understood the contracts he was signing, and made damn sure he wouldn’t go out like TLC or other… Michael will out earn Elvis Presley’s estate some day… believe it.
Artists are like activists… Do you know how much temerity it takes to step out and do you, all the while believing that others will love and believe in what you have to say, what you sing, or what you do? I had to say this, so that people understand that I do appreciate our musical contributions.
However, we have accomplished so much. We have the capacity to accomplish so much more. Unfortunately, until we begin to tell our story, our children will continue to behave as if they are born of concrete. We will continue to accept the criminalization of our neighborhoods by those who share our hues, and those that don’t. Our children will not understand why it is necessary to lift as we climb.
Consider the following quote by Frederick Douglass, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” I’ve seen people (some who are close to me) employ this quote in such nauseating ways. The words are empty if you ignore the context they are grounded in.
Douglass’s thought in its entirety: "If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters."
Black History has to be more than a random assembly of facts, or castrated quotes proliferated as chewy, sweet commodities for McDonalds commercials or folks who believe freedom is cheap. Our narrative is necessary because it is imperative that our children understand what this world owes people of African descent, what this country owes our ancestors, and most importantly, what we owe ourselves.
Not so random thoughts on Black History.
