Happy Friday! Since this is black history month and I’m black, I suppose I should write something about “Black History Month.”
This is an excerpt of an op-ed published last year in the Washington Times:
“Mr. McWhorter offers his assessment of Black History Month (BHM, my acronym) in “A New Black History.” We won’t find black Americans’ inspiring history in speeches about slavery as our defining moment or in the disingenuous rants of self-styled leaders preaching a gospel of blame-whites-for-your-troubles. We’ll find it in stories of ordinary Americans — and extraordinary ones — who accomplished great things long before the civil rights movement….
In 1926, [Carter G. Woodson] came up with the idea of ‘Negro History Week’ after he noticed the absence of a history of black Americans in textbooks. He believed the omission was intentional and set out to highlight the achievements of blacks in America. Although Negro History Week gained mass appeal in the 1960s, it wasn’t until 1976 that it was expanded into BHM [Black History Month].
Woodson’s achievements are remarkable for anyone of any color at any time. But he accomplished all this as a black man living under the grueling conditions of Jim Crow. Did he gripe and complain? Most likely. Did he let it stop him from achieving excellence? No….
Let us observe BHM by eliminating excuses and striving toward excellence regardless of hardships, perceived or otherwise. That’s what black history is. ”
Addendum: You didn’t think I was through with Eason Jordan, did you? Read my post at Easongate.com.
Update: Good grief. The New York Times links to Easongate.com.
