Courage for the Future
By Robert Denson

So, it’s February, the shortest month of the year and in America, coincidentally, it is Black History Month [insert your joke here]. Wait, Wait, Wait—keep reading. The editorial is not like that (my, why is everyone so touchy nowadays?). Let it be known that Robert Denson does not go on too many political rants (at least not on paper), however, he does not ignore the big red elephant when it is in the room. Believe it or not, taboo situations do not hurt when they are brought out in the open; however, they fester like a sore when they are ignored. Nuff said? Then let’s move on.

My middle name is “Controversy”. My mom and dad negligently left it off my birth certificate. How do I know they meant for it to be there? They told me time and time again, “Boy, you’d argue with a sign post if it didn’t say what you thought it should.” Well, today, I’m going to argue with the proverbial signpost (do you think they were prophetic?) and that signpost says, “Black History Month”.

What exactly is BLACK History? Does it carry the same stigma as being BLACK balled or BLACK mailed? In this day and age of political correctness, shouldn’t it be “African-American History Month”? Is it comparable to the BLACK Monday of 1929? You say NO? Well…I respectfully disagree—and here is why.

BLACK History is AMERICAN History. No, blacks may not have had the large hats with buckles in the middle or the black knickerbockers and white socks. They might not have ‘landed on Plymouth Rock’, but they were later packed on ships and brought here to build this country, not by choice, but by force. When they wanted freedom, they were whipped, limbs were removed (depending upon the type of labor in which they were needed) and this was all done in front of other slaves just in case they might have the notion to runaway. Let me tell you something—this is the BLACKest stain ever to be on the fabric of American history. And get this—every year we CELEBRATE it?

Let’s stop calling it BLACK History Month. Let us call it THE MONTH OF COURAGE—because that is what we should be celebrating in this country. Whenever ANYONE is oppressed, we should rise to the occasion. It just so happens that the people who have experienced the most oppression in this country are people of color (That statement includes Native Americans as well. What month do they have?).

If we are going to celebrate February, let it we the month be ask WHAT IF?

WHAT IF Harriet Tubman had said, “I’m free and I’m not doing anything to jeopardize that!”

WHAT IF Frederick Douglas had said, “I got mine—let them get theirs on their own?”

WHAT IF Abraham Lincoln had said, “Hey, Let them do what they want down South.”—no, it wasn’t just about slavery people.

WHAT IF Rosa Parks had gotten up from her seat?

WHAT IF Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had said, “I just had a baby girl…I don’t have time for a boycott.”

WHAT IF Bull Connor had not been so ignorant to sick dogs on peaceful protestors on national TV?

WHAT IF the Civil Rights Activists theme had been, “We all know our place” rather than “WE SHALL OVERCOME”?

WHAT IF those four little girls had not died on that bloody Sunday morning in Birmingham?

WHAT IF we ignore the course of American (AMERICAN) History and out of ignorance, we repeat it all over again.

The point is that many, many, many are still being oppressed. Nowadays, it doesn’t have as much to do with race as it does financial status, but PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING OPPRESSED.

WHAT IF we continue not to care about anyone but ourselves?

People, GOD has a plan for us all, but that plan is not about us, it is about loving your brother, no matter what color they are or how much money they have. Would you have what you have today if these people had not sacrificed themselves for a cause? As Sam Cooke once sang, “A Change is Gonna Come”. Are you going to be a part of it or will you be left behind? Have courage and let’s all make a difference.

That is MY pledge for February.