How to get more from Black History Month
Perhaps a better question is, what more do all of us want and even better, what more do all of us deserve? A higher standard of living? A better future for our children? A world free of bigotry, hatred, intolerance and prejudice?
We’re just about done with another February ... designated since 1976 as Black History Month, wherein all grade and elementary schools focus on the achievements, contributions and the emancipation of African Americans. Pictures and drawings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, Crispus Attucks, Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver and others are posted above blackboards across the country and discussed. But at the end of the day for many of us the question remains, why does black history matter in the lives of average, everyday people?
Some may even roll their eyes at the mention of the subject. “Good grief! Here come those black folks again!”
Perhaps a better question is, what more do all of us want and even better, what more do all of us deserve? A higher standard of living? A better future for our children? A world free of bigotry, hatred, intolerance and prejudice?
Those would all be nice, but how do we get there?
What value could be gained from the retelling of black history? One answer could be that these stories remind us what can be accomplished with focused individual and group effort toward a targeted vision. This may help us understand what we can do today to help make tomorrow better.
The next question then becomes: Which problem should we try to help solve? There are so many to choose from. Homelessness, unemployment, crime, drug abuse, the list goes on and on.
Pick a problem, big or small. Do whatever you can. Look around even in your own neighborhood for some project to tackle. Helping an elderly neighbor paint his house or cutting her overgrown grass?
Go! Seek out a project that could use your help and give all that you can. Make a difference so years from now when stories of history are told, they might include your efforts to help solve problems.
There is no shortage of worthy projects. At 236 Paul Laurence Dunbar Ave. in Dayton stands a vacant building once home to the first racially integrated YWCA. Over the years the owner has struggled to stop vandals who have repeatedly broken in for the sheer evil of destroying some irreplaceable thing of value. The owner has a mission to reuse the building as an “Early Visions Purpose Center,” where young women can explore ways to become better adults, chart pathways for success and give back to the community. Wanna help? Their email address is: Sable236@yahoo.com.
Not your cup of tea? Go to Dayton.com and click on “Where to Volunteer” for a list of organizations that would welcome help.
We can add new meaning to Black History Month, promoting understanding of why looking back over black and all history is not only important, but also inspirational.