Comments on: Blog Contest: How Does Your Family Celebrate Black History Month? How Does Knowing Your Roots Enrich Your Celebration? (Week 4)

By: Nikki

Nikki — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:35:22 +0000

On February 1st, we always begin by referencing The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: “If you teach this nigger to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave.” Thus, we celebrate by participating in the National African American Read-In [Chain], stressing the importance of literacy and of black literature.

We visit the National Civil Rights Museum to view the permanent and temporary exhibits. Soul Soldiers, the first national exhibit to commemorate the Black Experience in the Vietnam War, is currently displayed. We discuss our people: What can they tell me about Gil Scott-Heron or Van Jones? (both having lived in our hometown)

We celebrate our creative spirit: This year, we attended Hattiloo’s performance (a black repertory theatre) of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson. We also attended a staging of Alice Childress’s Trouble in Mind in our neighborhood theatre.

Around Valentine’s Day, we pause to remember our sister-survivors of the Democratic Republic of Congo–survivors of rape used as a weapon of war.

We attend community lectures; we invite all our non-black friends to celebrate with us all month long; in short, we celebrate like “this may be our last time.” Seriously. It’s a celebration not limited to February, but surely amplified during this time.

Most importantly, we remember our ancestors, both cultural and biological. This year, we focused on Ida B. Wells-Barnett, editor and proprietor of the Memphis Free Speech, who wrote of the 1886 lynching of a black woman in the courthouse square of our hometown, Jackson, TN. (Something we were never taught in grade school.) We remember my maternal ancestors, the first black landowners within that same county who donated land to build the Friendship School for African Americans, and who left a legacy that still stands proud and firm today.

By: Earlona

Earlona — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:31:53 +0000

We really don’t have any ironclad traditions. We always look for any programs and shows on t.v. relating to black history but we watch those anyway, any month. My mom and I really like watching African American Lives program Henry Louis Gates Jr. does on PBS. We do like to go to the library and see what books they have out for this month and my mom and I will bring my young niece and read her some of the african-american history books. We(especially me) love reading black poetry and music, we love reading about African American firsts. We talk with my niece about back-in-the-day stuff, all black history, and our own family history. Thankfully, it’s something we all love to talk about. Unfortunately, we can only go so far back as my maternal great-great grandmother & very little about her. Somehow, the only grandfather we know of is my maternal one, but again very little. His family and he were kept away for reasons unknown. I, for the past five years have been trying to look up anything on our family’s history or distant relatives, which is difficult to do while I’m in school. However, I decided after my first year to change my minor from just History to an African-American history minor cause I love it. It’s always kind of fun when we find someone with our somewhat unique last name, but we never know if they are our real relatives or not. By knowing our roots, not only could we reconnect with our homeland, but maybe we could find some other relatives and create a familial bond that will hopefully result in some reunions, and the start of some new traditions especially after finding out our original roots. I really do think it will bring my family closer together ( my grandmother & her children,etc.)

By: James

James — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:12:56 +0000

My family has always talked about black history in our house. We do not wait until February. I have always let my children know their history. I have always felt that the schools do not do enough and some how make school age children feel it is not important.

Every chance that I got to teach in my house, i did it. I refused to let my children be lost and not know. I would be the blame; not anyone else.

By: Shannon Norman

Shannon Norman — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:57:09 +0000

We really don’t have a yearly tradition that we observe during Black History Month. That is only because my children are use to me working on our family history and sharing how important it is with them. I have found that by taking the time showing them what I have undercovered gives them great pride. It also show them that even if your ancestors weren’t famous, They still are an very important part of history. Our family history, U.S.A history and the entire world’s history.

By: Gloria Arthur

Gloria Arthur — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:26:45 +0000

Each year my family and my sisters’ family bring out old pictures of family members. My grandmother was born in 1892 and she told us that when she came to America from Barbados her youngest brother went to Nigeria to live with her uncle. My grandfather was born in 1894. We have been trying to find out if our roots are from Nigeria by writing family members, using websites and I visited Nigeria. My daughter went to Barbados to try to find family members who might know.
We also read the Book in Black America( a book my father gave us before he died)with our grandchildren and discussed how it was when my sister and I were growing up. On Saturdays we have Saturday Night at the movies and we watched so far Roots, Amistad, and Malcom X.
We visited the Schomburg Museum in Harlem, NY. We also watch several shows on television including Rosa Parks. I am the Project Arts Coordinator at my school and my students performed a Black History Musical including poetry, African dance, inspirational songs that told the story of slavery. I invited an African Dance Troupe to perform and a Puppet Show on” What if there were no Black People.” The students will be competing in a contest of naming Black Inventors. I am taking several students to see “Footsteps” in honor of Black History Month and I took several students to see the “Urban Bush Women” a dance troupe.
Each week my church presented a moment in time in Honor of Black History and we dress up in African Attire. My office is decorated with a timeline of pictures from Slavery until the present. I also have several African instruments. Students come to my office during their lunchtime and watched the first week “The Black West”, the second week they watched the “African Burial Ground” and the third week ‘The History of Gospel”.
My grandmother would discuss blacks in the bible when I was a child and it helped me build my self-esteem coming up in a time when there was some much racial tension. I have always tried to do the same with my children and the children that I teach. This has always been a month that I was very proud of because it gives me the opportunity to share my experience and to listen to others as they tell of theirs. I told my children I will forgive but I will never forget and that we still have ways to go. Also we didn’t get this far at without the help of other races. I am proud of being an African American and the more I research and study the more proud I am.

Happy Black History Month

By: Stacey Shackelford

Stacey Shackelford — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:14:28 +0000

We started this year by having our own moments in black history from our family and quotes about our family, their accomplishments, their character, the things they overcame to arrive @ where they are today sent out on facebook. Did this though out the month of Feb. /Knowing our roots enriches our celebration causes it enlightens us to who we are! I went to a Caribbean Festival and saw the one from the different islands dancing, loving who they are. Waiving their flags in the air with a since of pride of who they are because of the good association of where they come from. In my heart I wish African American had their own flag one that said we are loved, we are valuable, we are wanted, we are cherished, we are good and we love who we are and desire to be no one else vs. the American flag that sadly does not have the same voice the island flags did. I know that is why I love the black historical colleges my Delta’s, A.K.A.’s, Q’s and Kappas. A fellow poet Talaam Acey said in one his poems it is interesting that on the TV show Roots that the Broadcast started with capturing the slaves when the 1st hundreds of pages of the book talked about our rich and beautiful history. I want our people to love who we are and erase the lies and replace them with truth. Which can be done now. How I start know with what I believe now that my true ancestry is from God and that represents who we are more than anything else. And no one can take that from me. But I want to know who my ancestors were and then study my rich history. And I am faithful with anything I get like Nettie did Celie to give back to my community.

By: Christine Burleson

Christine Burleson — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:57:43 +0000

My family has not, but beginning with my children I would like to begin some. I gave birth to my daughter at 14 and my son at 17, we have been through many ups and downs since then. I have been through drug addictions and have even spent time in prison, however I have been blessed to have one year clean time tommorow. I have recieved my GED and am currently a member of the national honor scociety at a two year college. We are growing. My family is learning how to live without the crime and drugs and I believe now is theperfect time to learn more, deeper information about who WE really are. With this information I would begin an annual study group with my family where we would spend time researching and cataloguing our families history. I would have a sense of being and of pride.

By: Charles Flippen II

Charles Flippen II — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:25:36 +0000

My wife and I have found it very important to point out the significance of African American contributions to US and World History to our two sons. They attend an independent elementary school that places a high value on recognition of diversity in our society. To that end, every year we, as a family with other interested families (African American and non-African American) have designed programming to educate the entire school about the significant contributions of our people to history. We purposely try to highlight areas of contribution aside from athletics and entertainment which tend to be overly represented in celebrating our history. Last year we focused on inventors/scientists and this year we are highlighing pioneers, both social and geographic. The celebration is culminated with a day of activity booths, music, food and a visit from a local historical figure (this year we will have a Tuskegee Airman!) The children present historical vignettes each week in February before the entire student body and help with designing some of the activities.

Knowing where we come from give my sons a sense of connection, that they are never alone, and that they stand on the shoulders of giants as they reach fpr their stars of achievement!

By: Najah Haqiqah

Najah Haqiqah — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:34:23 +0000

Black history month is a big thing for our family. Although we know little about our roots past our great grandfather, we make it a habit to dress in African clothes throughout the month and especially on Sundays. Usually we attend the Saviour’s Day celebration for the Nation of Islam. As an instructor, I assign a writing assignment and bring the discussion of our heritage into the classroon.

By: Mrs. Richard

Mrs. Richard — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:08:41 +0000

I am so pleased and blessed to say that Black History month is every month for my family and church family! We make sure we teach our children about Africa and the rich lavish history that isn’t found in history books. We wear African attire any Sunday of the year with pride and honor. We participate in moments of black history at church, where we share the story of Black revolutionist or a movement. I graduated from San Francisco State where the 1st Black Studies department was created, with a BA in African American History. I love my Black, I love to hear about Africans in the diaspora and what we have accomplished as a people. As a mother, I want to make sure my children know their history so they know how to represent themselves to the WORLD, if they know they come from Kings and Queens, they shall represent royalty and honor.. Your heritage is important whatever your race is, and as mixed up as we ( African Americans) are, I would love to trace my lineage beyond, Jamaica & Cuba.. Thank you for this opportunity, and Happy Black History Month!