As we begin Black History month today, I think back to prominent African Americans lost to history - and so eloquently covered by Denise Oliver Velez here: How Much Do You Know About Black History?. When I think about Black Hiistory month, I'm often reminded of something an artist told me years ago - today is history tomorrow. Black history is being made every single day in America. Now is the time to appreciate some of the history we are living through as well.
Rap Group "The Digital Underground" - the Berkley, California formed group that brought Tupac Shakur into Hip Hop, but is more well known for tracks like "The Humpty Dance" asked this very question a few years ago:
I ask you about Malcolm and you tell me that he's wicked
Farrakhan comes you can't seem to buy a ticket
And check what my man's got to say
Right or wrong, don't you think that he deserves a play?
'Cause he's living for you and you and you and you
The brother X tried but he died trying to get through
So why wait until the heartbeat stops?
Yo, go on and give my man his props
If you're really that down then act what you say
KRS and Chuck need support today
I see you posing with the Dr King hanging on your wall
Only difference is Chuck might give you that call
To march on Friday, yeah, it's kind of frightening
Let me move so I don't get hit by the bolt of lightning
Striking you down 'cause you're fronting
A dead leader can't tax your mind
Therefore he's not a threat to your personal time
As they note - you're free to disagree with anyone they list, but isn't it fitting we acknowledge the history that is being made? So, to begin Black History month, I wanted to point out some of the history that is being made every day - and why you should be a part of it.
You want history made on a daily basis? We live in a country under the first African American president in it's history. Every day Barack Obama is in office is something that Republicans can't remove from history. It becomes documented fact, something that students for the rest of the democracy will read about. People can yell and scream. They can bash and moan. They can make claims - but what they cannot do is alter history. History that every day adds to the tenure of the first African American to hold the US presidency.
So, let's hand a few Heartbeat Props to our president, who serves as an example to American youth as an example of what can be possible.
One of my favorite moments in DU's verses boiled down to this section:
I see you posing with the Dr King hanging on your wall
Only difference is Chuck might give you that call
To march on Friday, yeah, it's kind of frightening
It is frightening. It's scary for people because it means taking action. William Barber, African American leader from North Carolina knows it can be scary for people - but every day he builds history in his state. He might give you that call to march on a Friday. Would you pick up? It's history in the making. African American history isn't a relic of what was - it is the tale of progress and the people who fought for it.
It isn't just political action, though. Patricia Bath, the woman who invented laser eye surgery for cataracts is still alive and living in New York. Her invention of laser surgery made her the first African American woman to receive a patent for a medical device in 1986. At 58 years old, in 2000 she filed a patent for ultrasound eye work, a breakthrough in the field.
When John Dabiri immigrated with his family from Nigeria as a small boy, he probably didn't realize that he would make history. His bioengineering work on Jellyfish has helped revolutionize the way we look at wind energy in America. His research, called "profound" and "revolutionary" by many has altered the way we think about the method of wind energy production in America.
In music and the arts, there are still members of living history with us - from Tina Turner to BB King - talent that helped shape generations of work by so many other artists.
As we begin Black History month I wanted to remind people.. remember that history isn't something that ends. History is ongoing, it is the one thing all of us leave in the world. We should take this month to not just remember those who have died in the past for their great works, we should be reminded of WHY we remember them, and live up to that challenge.
Bold leaders, political, scientific, artistic continue to grow and thrive in the African American community. We live in a culture that day by day continues to seemingly tear down the idea of African Americans as leaders, builders, talents and great minds of this and every generation of our American existence.
Think about the past for the next twenty eight days. And honor it by answering that call and building what will be history for the future.