Black History Month

February is the Black History Month in America... Most people wonder why Black History gets the shortest month of the year well after much research I found the answer. Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays are both in the month of February it was a way to honor to great Americans for there serve to the cause of equal right whatever the reason, so that is why we have ths shortest month of the year. I did not realize how important it is to have a month in which we celebrate the achievements of African Americans to society that has pretty much affected the whole world. Some will question why we even have a Black History Month and the answer to that question is that in American public school you don't hear about Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans or Asians and their contributions. The only Blacks you hear about is Martin Luther King Jr and his dream or Rosa Parks refusing to give up her sit and thats maybe two pages in the history books. Being here in Andong, South Korea has really helped me to realize the importance of knowing my history and being very proud of it... Marcus Garvey once said, " A people without the knowledge of their past history, origins and culture is like a tree without roots." The Koreans knowledge of Black people is that we all come from Africa and thus they are better than we are.. but once they find out that I am an American then everything changes, if I am with another foreigner who is from another Western nation who is Caucasian, I will get treated much better than my counterpart just because I am an American. If I say that I am Los Angeles (LA) I will get treated even better. I have a friend Helen (she is Black) who lives in the nearest big city (called Daegu, over 3 million people) we have discussed our experience being different than our Caucasian counter parts. For my part I am looked at differently than the others are here in Andong (most of these folks have never seen a Black person before.) I feel like I am carrying upon my shoulders the burden of the African American race thus I try to conduct myself with in the highest of moral standards ( I said I try I am not perfect.) The Koreans already have their preconceived notions about all Waegooks (foreigners.) I will have to admit most of the Waegooks are playing their roles in the stereotypes. The Koreans opinions of Black people are basically based on ignorance. I've made a couple of Korean friends here and we have been able to discuss these stereotypes and basically they are processed and manufactured from America. Thanks to Barack Obama and his candidacy for President people (this is not an endorsement) around the world are being able to see that we are more than what is exported from our coutry, we are not a one deminsional people who are all out to be sports figures or rap artist... (not to say that there is anything wrong with those professions) but we have other dreams and goals. I believe that one day we will become a nation where we won't be in need of Black History Month's, Hispanic History, Asian American History or Native American History but it will all be American History. The true stories will be told and there will not be groups of people who feel guilty but will hold their heads up high and say that without the bad as well as the good we would not be where we are today if we did not go through what we went through as a nation. If it had not been for the Dr. King's, the Ceaser Chavez's, yes the LBJ's or Susan B. Anthony's of this world and all that they have sacrificed for a better America. Black History Month symbolizes and recognizes those who believed in true heroism and one does not have to be famous or on the world stage, it can be anyone because there is no small roles is heroism and service the one of the greatest American tennis player Arthur Ashe said it best about heroism and service in a quote, "True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever the cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost." I have a of 15 and 16 year olds and I am spending the month of February educated them on famous Black Americans and there contributions. It is important to remember the mistakes of the past so we won't repeat them in the future, but never hold on to the past with anger and unforgiveness because it will destroy your future.