Deja Davis
Managing Editor
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree with no roots.” – Marcus Garvey
It is now February. The month that some believe is the only month to celebrate African-American ancestors, wear our blackness, appreciate the achievements of our heroes… I could go on and on.
Why do we only feel that way when February comes?
Black culture should be represented not only during Black History Month but every single day because it is too rich.
We deserve that much as African-Americans and definitely those before us, especially in the south.
I love to see our leaders who fought for freedom honored daily for doing the “normal everyday things,” because it is a constant reminder that we were more than their work.
They were real people like us who sacrificed so much for liberation and it is motivating to see that we can do it too.
Unfortunately, it seems as though our generation now believes that Black History is losing its relevance and it has been a major concern for a while.
We see very few programs here and there, and even fewer in schools today. It is not stressed enough how it should be, especially to children.
My initial exposure to black culture took place at my home. My parents made sure that I knew and learned something new around me and could recite the information I learned back to them. From black history research papers, programs, tours were prominent back then to make us excited to learn about us as a people.
I can remember graduating from high school knowing that I wanted to attend a HBCU but not knowing which one.
Once I learned the history of my Dear Ole College Home, Jackson State I was immediately sold.
The summer of July 2016, I came on campus for the college tour and was fascinated with the Gibbs/Green plaza, not knowing the history behind it.
It made me want to research more about my institution feeling empowered about the traditions, the diverse atmosphere, the feeling of having a second home, and of course the black excellence that came with it.
I will never forget sitting in a class my junior year of college around this same time, hearing a student express that they were tired of seeing and hearing the same thing every year about Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X to name a few.
It was disheartening and very disappointing because why should we ever get tired of it?
Our leaders didn’t. They continued to make a difference and were eager to pass the torch to the newer generations.
Sadly, what has happened is that we are constantly leaning on our social media platforms and our society to feed us knowledge that we should want to learn more about ourselves.
We need to stop minimizing and start creating a better black future to connect with each other and also continue to pass it on to our children so it does not go unnoticed.
Keep supporting black businesses and stop becoming intimidated by expressing your true self.
Wear your natural hair, continue to take risks, embrace your style, and become comfortable being black.
Black culture is the America’s history. We now have all the tools. Let’s make it a routine to learn something new about ourselves, continue to teach, and strive to keep it going.
Black people lead culture. Everywhere. Now it is time to own it every day.
Happy Black History Month!
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