African American History Month: Let's reminisce, shall we?

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Lucas Walker
  • 30th Civil Engineer Squadron
Not sure when you last sat in on a history lesson, but African American History Month opens the door to tons of juicy reminiscent facts that paved the way to our historic present. A lot of people are reluctant to embrace this month because the idea of singling out a particular race seems a bit preferential. So, why celebrate it? 

Fact is, it took 16 presidents from the birth of our Nation to recognize that property and people should not be put in the same category. Yea, I'm sure at some point the idea had crossed the minds of some of our founding fathers, but Abraham Lincoln was willing to sacrifice 600,000 lives for it; 600,001 if you include Lincoln himself. Even after the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments were passed, it took years to implement them into society and, still to this day, may not have received 100 percent of the public's approval. Moreover, this Nation's success owes it accolades to Lincoln's "cause," and in retrospect, a month out of the year to the many slaves who were chastised should be welcomed. 

That's why I'm happy to reflect on some key individuals who were at the adolescence of this Nation's foundation and some current successors of our time. These individuals excelled in fields that I feel influenced society. Some you may know and some you may not. All I hope is that their courage inspires you to face adversity with open arms and to try to make a difference to a flawed or even corrupt system as they did. Also, it's important to me that you gain respect for their effort to pursue their craft with such poise and diligence. 

Speaking of diligence, it takes plenty of that quality for anyone to attend a university such as Harvard. However, in the late 19th century an African American attending this prestigious school was unseen. It was W.E.B Du Bois who made the impossible a reality. At the turn of the century, he managed to become the first African American to graduate Harvard with a Ph. D. Outside of that, Du Bois was major advocate for civil rights; affiliated in multiple organizations (Negro Academy, NAACP, etc) and a spokesperson for segregated blacks during that era. Using his Social Science degree, he spoke publically against segregation and even mentored subordinate speakers. For those who weren't fortunate enough to engage in his speeches, they may have been captivated by his book "The Souls of Black Folk." The book may be more than 100 years old, but his sagacity and idealism conveyed messages that we can still benefit from in today's modern world. 

Moving from the halls of academia to the business world, we should not forget the contributions of Madam C.J. Walker, the daughter of a former slave and a major entrepreneur during the early 20th century. Born Sarah Breedlove on Dec. 23, 1867, this Louisianan's business (mainly hair products) afforded her the opportunity to be a generous contributor to black charities concerning civil resolve. A lot of her contributions supported anti-lynching measures, and she often threw gatherings that would incorporate bi-racial intellectuals to discuss change. Madam Walker even attempted to discuss anti-lynching measures with President Wilson himself, but was denied. For an African American woman during that era, to be a success was a milestone. What makes it even better is that she used her earnings to promote egalitarian reform. Prior to her death she made history once again by hiring Vertner Woodson Tandy, the first licensed African American architect to construct her home. 

It was almost 30 years after her death that one man brought African American culture into every home in America. Whether it be to get your praise on early Sunday morning or to watch a little "106 & Park" throughout the week, Robert Johnson made Black Entertainment Television available to you. Born in Mississippi in 1946, Johnson received a Masters of Arts from Princeton University. In 1979, he borrowed $15,000 to launch BET, which started out as music broadcasting network. Five years later the network broadcasted 24 hours a day. Expanding from just music to movies, news, music videos and sports, BET was beginning to reach out to African Americans more than ever. BET is currently the only network to broadcast solely African American programming. Johnson's vision did not go unnoticed. He received awards and honors to include: National Cable Television Association's Presidential award, Image award from the NAACP, Pioneer award from the Capitol Press Club and Business of the Year Award from the Washington D.C. Chamber of Commerce. Robert Johnson is a true pioneer in today's modern age. 

The idea here wasn't to just highlight the careers of some noble figures. I'm more interested in informing you about change through cultivation. Politics, business, entertainment and sports all influence change and continue to do so. We have to accept change because culture will continue to evolve. The more we resist it, the further we harbor progression. At some time in these individuals lives, they were told they weren't good enough, they didn't have what it takes, they had "zero" potential to make it. Imagine if they listened to the naysayers; what kind of world would we be living in? Where would the people they inspired be and, most important, who would you be?

"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves." - Lord Byron.