A SALUTE TO MODERN BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY
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© 2005 Mr. Vincent Scott – VS Enterprises.
A SALUTE TO MODERN BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY
INRODUCTION
The Purpose of "A Salute To Modern American Black History" is to encourage our various Civil Rights organizations and people engaged and / or interested in the function of maintaining and improving Civil Rights Worldwide to "Keep their Eyes On the Prize". I would like to thank Mr. Michael Montgomery for extending to me this honor to introduce “A Salute To Modern American Black History". This “Black History Primer” is Dedicated to the Tallahassee Community and to all other Communities involved with the advancement and enforcement of Civil Rights Worldwide.
Michael and I have taken a series of articles from Funk & Wagnalls ® New Encyclopedia © 2005 World Almanac Education Group. (Also the text of this material can be found at the History Channel at http://www.historychannel.com )We have added pictures to the places, people and events mentioned; thereby, taking a series of excellent Black History Text and turned it into this excellent Black History Primer that can be used for self education or the classroom and passed on to the younger generations.
A visit to our web page at https://www.angelfire.com/hero2/blackhistory will not only give you the benefit of having pictures connected with the people and places mentioned in the primer, but you will also be able to “Click Thru” some of the pictures and text to get further information on that person or event mentioned. We ask that when you visit our site and if you find a link that is not working, please advise us so that we can make the necessary corrections. You can contact us by signing our guestbook at the bottom of the webpage and note in your Comments about our site if there are any problems. We want to carry only current and up to date information on our site. We also hope that you will sign the guestbook to let us know how you feel about our site and our comments made in this introduction. This primer and web site is for the Civil Rights Community and for persons interested in Modern Black American History and we would like to hear from you.
Now I would like to address the question that I feel that most people will ask:
Why do you call this Primer Modern Black American History?
Well, the most obvious reason we call this Primer Modern Black American History is because we only concentrate on the era when Blacks first came to America (1460?) to the Present Day.
Now, what might not be obvious, is the fact that when we decided to develop this Black History Primer we agreed that we would not talk about Black Genealogy. I feel that we run this area of Black History in the ground, and it really takes away from the main point of American Black History. I think that we use Black Genealogy to escape the Tragic Fact that our Enslavement in America was very harsh and very brutal. I am not saying that Black Genealogy Issues are irrelevant, they are very relevant, and in fact, it was the Genealogy Issues that started me to look at the current “Brain Washing” that we as Blacks are facing in America today.
So looking at our Black Genealogy is only the first step we must take to clear our minds of issues of "Brain Washing" that we as Black People face today. We are encourged by the general public (yes, we do it to ourselves and each other also) to feel that we are not good enough. And people (Even those that mean well) say that Blacks are in a “Identity Crisis.” I feel that the only way that we can get through this Brain Washing is to immerse ourselves into the Truth and the Light. For a fact, American Society would like to have us to believe that we are a Bunch of Monkeys. And the only way we can free ourselves of this cultural Brain Washing is to look at ourselves as we are, and where we are Right Now!
Society will not tell us about Benjamin Banneker who was Black. He created the study of Meteorology (The Study of the air and sky (Weather)) and used his perdictions to help farmers plant crops. He also had a photographic memory and was able to reproduce the Blueprints of the Whitehouse in Washington D.C. from memory after they had gotten lost. Also Benjamin Banneker argued against Black Inferiority, an issue that we are currently having problems with today, in a famous correspondence with U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.
So for the purpose of this primer I would like for us to set aside the Issues of Black Genealogy, For Now. I would like our communities to concentrate on the tragic condition from which we came. Why? You may ask. Here are some reasons I would like you to consider.
Whenever something bad happens and we happen to live thru it. We should remember that situation and do our best not to make the same mistake twice.
We must look at our situation then and see where we are at now.
We must also make sure that we keep the gains that we have made as there are forces out there that want to take away the gains we have made over the past 50 years.
We must know and remember our tragic past because if we forget and become complacent those that want to see our Civil Rights taken away again will use our lackadaisical attitude to destroy us.
We must remember and tell our Children how even after the Brown v. Board of Education decision Governor George Wallace said, “…the only way a Black Child is going to get into my schools is over my dead body”. We must install into our kids that we have come a long way from whence we came and they have all the reason to be proud. Yes, we have made gains in Civil Rights and the fact that they are able to go to school and get a good education is a gain in itself. Moreover, we must let them know that the fight is not over. We must continue to make America live out the true meaning of its creed, “We believe these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal” and that it is up to them to make sure that Malcolm, Martin and the other Heros of Modern American Black History did not fight and die for our equal rights in vain. We must continue not only to keep the gains in Civil Rights, but to continue the fight until Martin’s Dreams are fulfilled.
Have you ever considered that when something terrible happens people unite? We can use our tragic past to create Identity, Purpose and Unity. We can create a situation where the family can become a unit and create a situation where love will once again reign in our families. I have heard it said that the Black Men do not have an Identity. This is because we get caught up in American Society. This is fine, but we must take the time out daily to consider where we were and how far we have come. When we look at our tragic past we will hurt. However, American Society has conditioned us not to feel that hurt; This is a mistake which is almost as tragic as our past; because by not looking at our hurt, we can never put ourselves into a position to be free from our feelings of inadequacy. We cannot expect American Society to help us. Because most White man will only see Black Men as negros and will feel that the only job that they are qualified for is the cotton picking job and Black Women as Sex Objects and they only intensify feelings of inadequacy. Even white friends even without meaning to. So we cannot expact help from any outside agent. Threfore we must look into ourselves, and gain help from within and not without. We must look at that hurt that is inside us. (Our Tragic Past, our Grief, our Broken Hearts. We can even extend this to our present broken relationships, and greifs with family and friends)and deal with it with no strings attatched Dr. King in one of his Sermons told us how this can be done.
Dr. Martin Luther King said, “…take your grief and look at it, don't run from it. Say that this is my grief and I must bear it. Look at it hard enough and say, "How can I transform this liability into an asset?" Quote Taken from a sermon delivered by Doctor King at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, on 5 June 1966 © The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr.
God can work with a person with a broken heart. A broken heart kills pride and puts us into a situation where we can ask God for help. “The Sacrifices of God is a Broken Heart, A Broken and Contrite Spirit O God, Thou wilt not despise. Psalms 51:17 © King James Bible.
So now in closing, I would like to point to your attention, The Tragedy that is Modern Black American Black History
This Introduction is Copyrighted all rights reserved.
© 2005 Mr. Vincent Scott – VS Enterprises.
Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be interested in these topics.
Dr. King and Bible Quotes Copyrights of entities named above.
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