Black History Month

Lincoln and Douglass were born in Feb...not because it is the shortest month.

Just gotta say...

:bounce:

...at least according to the poet, but if we get any more damn snow, I'll believe it. And I'll want to dig up Lincoln and Douglass and ask them to help me shovel out the GD driveway!!! But seriously...

I'm awaiting the day when BHM is no longer needed. It really is sad that we have to designate a month to ensure that a huge percentage of our population gets some recognition, and the kids learn the real story of their forced immigration to our shores, the bullshit they put up with, the many trials, tribulations, and unrecognized contributions. It's past time for REAL INTEGRATION--historical integration.

I'm astounded that we aren't there yet. Guess the guy who built the bridge to the 21st Century didn't count on a swaggering weecowboy coming along and burning the fucker to the ground!

It is a categorical progression:

First, I am human. I have to go no further to recognize other humans. Even having a month devoted to a particular 'race' is antithetical to the main purpose.

I hate that I'm from the South and that someone of a different skin color is part of the 'other.' However, such is life. Skin color helped early man recognize 'friend' and 'not-friend' based on simple geography. I think we can get past that now though - as hard as it may be.

Light at the end of the tunnel: My Gran-Gran was born in 1914 and she tried not to be discriminatory...of course it came out. My mother, her daughter is less so. My dad remembers segregation - that is something that, as a 22 yo. is unimaginable.

I have marginal 'racial' prejudice. In my children, it will be diminished further. It has not even been 100 years and we have come so far.

Soon, we will see each other as simply people - I'm glad I'll be around to tell my son how proud I am that he has gone so much further than I went. I don't owe it to any 'race' in particular...I owe it to myself as a human.

I was raised by freaky closet lefties who DID NOT ACCEPT the status quo. They refused to play the race game, and shielded their children (rather effectively) from the ugliness. I never figured out the segregation thing--I thought colored fountains meant there was Kool Aid in them, and my parents never disabused me of the fact...when I complained when all I got was lousy water, they just said the kool aid must have run out. We always sat at the back of the bus, because that was where the BIG WINDOW was--much better than the front, with people tripping over your feet as they found a seat, and no BIG BACK BENCH to stretch out on...!

We moved north and thence to Europe before I figured it out. I'm glad I didn't know at the time--it would have been miserable, instead it was fine--for me, anyway--of course, I can't help but feel for all who suffered, in retrospect. But hey, as a kid, who wants to shoulder the meanness and stupidity of adults?

Silly America, so far--still--to go before it grows up!

such a diverse group of citizens. I can effectively point out an asian, african, or northern european. America is a bit different. The task of integrating all the 'races' came here. I don't even know what I am. European maybe? I'm sure the French might disagree.

America still remains the most democratic government in the world and the effects of that are seen in the way we memorialize our civil rights leaders. Yes we may be have had some trouble but we've had more cause for that trouble.

Such a melting pot is bound to cause problems - and we address them.

I know the Founders were less liberal than they intended to be but thankfully their language was expansive.

: :wtf: What black history month? The month starts and ends with MLK. That doesn't empower the masses with true history that goes back to ancient Egypt and Ethiopia. It doesn't explain our bondage and mass rapes of Non Native African people who were stolen by lazy white folks to build this country.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

Hey Thank U