Just because we’re magic doesn’t mean we’re not real

Alexandria Galtney
Managing Editor

People seem to forget, especially African-Americans, how much we have significantly impacted the modern world with our inventions in technology, changing the world of medicine, hair, food and businesses.

Society seems to neglect these inventions without realization that many African-Americans have contributed to this country’s progress. We have prepared the foods, found multiple ways to utilize the peanut, created an invention to get rid of the kinks and curls of natural hair, we have created pace-makers, colored televisions, and we have even stepped into politics and have held positions in judicial, legislative and executive areas.

For too many decades, African-Americans have been absent from the history books, and it is about time these ingenious inventors, educators, activists and entertainers receive the acknowledgement they deserve.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson recognized the lack of knowledge on African-American history and in 1926, and established an entire month honoring those inventors, activists, poets and playwrights, who broke barriers and paved the way for the monumental progress we have made throughout the decades.

It is important for us to understand where we come from, and what we are capable of, even during these “TRUMPED” times.

Even in 2017, eight years after the nomination of this country’s first black president, African-Americans are not recognized for our successes, but instead for our failures.

Just like Marcus Garvey, Frederick Douglas, Thurgood Marshall, we are intelligent. Just like Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers and John Lewis, we are honorable. Just like Michael Jordan, Arthur Ashe and Muhammad Ali, we are powerful.

We are leaders, we are free thinkers, we are songbirds, designers, inventors, mothers and brothers of the movement, and forever magical.

We as African-Americans possess magic so unique and radiant that sometimes it can be seen as a problem, but do not let people denounce your success because they cannot stand beside your shine.

In the telling words of actor Jesse Williams, “Just because we’re magic, doesn’t mean we’re not real.”

I honestly hope that the students at Jackson State University make it their mission to learn as much as they possibly can at this higher institution about their heritage, and also learn the importance of tradition.

These privileges were once not available to our race, and now that we are given the opportunity to educate ourselves, we should take full advantage of all that Jackson State has to offer.

I was always taught that what you do not want to learn, you become ignorant to and we should not be ignorant to what we should already know.

I’m not asking people to start a revolution against all things not black, but to whole-heartedly make it their mission to not play by the rules of this society, but to change the game.

So this black history month, educate yourself on the positive impact African-Americans have made in society. You will be surprised with what you may learn about our history and yourself.