2022’s Black History Month flew by. February felt much shorter than the normal 28 days. The brevity of it all had me wondering, what is the point? Why do we celebrate? And I realize it’s not as much for us black folk as it is for other races to celebrate us. This year, the celebration was wack. Not much Malcolm X, not much history, not much of anything. I got an email on February 28th from a local mall telling me how to important Black History Month is and how we need to appreciate black business owners. I checked the mailing list, the last day of the month was the first time they mentioned Black History Month. It leads me to the question, is Black History Month going out of style?
Fashion changes, but style never fades. As a people, we can’t let Black History Month fizzle out. We have to keep pushing our history and our accomplishments 365 days a year. We are worth it. We have endured so much that some people want us to forget. Case and point, Governor Ron DeSantis’ move to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools. The theory is rooted in civil rights teachings that race permeates all aspects of society, including law and justice, as well as the importance of telling the stories of African Americans and other marginalized people of color. Now, how and why would a governing body attempt to ban that from schools? It’s controlling and its deplorable, and it’s an overreach.
But honestly, I didn’t learn much about black history growing up in the school system in Port Charlotte. My parents taught me. They taught me about Kwanzaa, about the pyramids of Egypt, about HBCU’s, about Booker T. Washington, EmmetTill and the Tuskegee Airmen. Now, it’s up to us to not be concerned about the politics of it all, black history is our history, and we need to teach it every day and every month. In Pompano, we have the honor of being a city that’s rich in black history, especially on the northwest side. Check out the Ali Cultural Arts Center, the Blanche Ely Museum, Esther Rolle Avenue, and a bevy of streets named after local black leaders like Mattie B. Slappy.
Now we’re well into March. March is Women’s History Month, so let’s celebrate continue to celebrate black and women. Let’s celebrate what we’ve overcome and what we have yet to achieve. This is my message to you to show out, nah, I want to you to BLACK OUT. Go get that promotion, teach your kids, spend time with your family and let the world know how amazing YOU are. Life is too short not to appreciate what you have in this moment. Embrace the beauty of it all.
Wishing you more life.
Sincerely,
Attiyya
