Who's Responsiblity is it to do YOUR Knowledge?

Peace.

Today embarks Black History Month. I almost forgot. Someone posted something in a blog I follow that brought my remembrance to it. Pity, is it not? I suppose I would have remembered when I noticed all the Black themed shows on HBO and lifetime. This is the time of year they pull them out and dust them off. Sort of like how the Ten Commandments is shown every Easter. And Easter has nothing to do with the Ten Commandments unless it’s close to Passover. (I know Easter has to be close to Passover. But then why do they show the movie only on Easter night?) I am all for knowledge of self. And that includes your personal history. But I am not feeling that Black history month for the following reasons…..

When I was a child of about 10, my school was having some type of event connected with the presidential election. The teachers wanted to make sure that we new all the words to the 1st verse of the National Anthem. My mother heard me singing the song in my efforts to memorize the words for a written test that was going to count! She then told me that I was to learn the words to the Negro National Anthem as well. That she would be testing me, it would count from keeping her off my ass and I had to learn ALL 3 verses. I learned both songs in the same week. Two years later, while learning the French National Anthem (which for some odd reason, I still remember) my mothers made sure I still remembered the NNA, by having me sing it in Sunday School. She is crazy, but I learned a valuable lesson from that experience…. It is no one’s responsibility but mine to make sure I know the contributions of my own people. It wasn’t February when said lessons went down. The election was in November and I remember the French thing being in spring. And these weren’t the only things. Mommie had flashcards and assigned reading for us. She wanted my brother and me to know who and what we were and to never be ashamed. Since then I’ve labored to learn about Original people. While going through 120 even much more. And that’s my 1st point. Doing the Knowledge for self.

Think about it… Who is uplifted by the Knowledge of Black People? Black people. It is in the colored man’s interest to withhold said information. It keeps Original people feeling and most importantly, thinking inferior.

I cee this Black History month as a time for white people to learn about the contributions of Original people because clearly they don’t know. They always seem surprised when they find out something new and come at you like, “Let me look into that.” When they teach it in their institutions the premise reads, you only need 28 days to discuss the history of Original people. Hell, they are the ones who have only been on the planet for 6000 years. That shouldn’t take long. And that’s my second point.

The bottom line is the term Black History should not exist. You don’t hear white people calling what they teach white History. It’s history. And Original contributions should be taught year round. Not just in these 4 weeks. And I get annoyed at the Original people that wear this month on a t-shirt acting like they didn’t know. Why didn’t you know? Ain’t like its hidden! Busters……

So I use this month to shame Black people that only feel proud for 28 days.



Peace