By Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor
(With Agency Reports)
February each year is set aside as the Black History Month. Events during this month are observed in United States and other part of the world to reflect on the contributions and prices paid by black activists in ending slave trade and racism targeted against blacks.
While this year’s Black History Month is marked with events to encourage equal human rights, an ugly incident in Los Angeles almost marred the celebration. Three teachers at a South Los Angeles elementary school were suspended for allegedly encouraging students to celebrate O.J. Simpson, Dennis Rodman and RuPaul during Black History Month. The intentions of these white teachers were to make mockery of the Africa American history.
While, other children were carrying pictures of President Obama and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who represent the face of true positive contemporary black Americans, these indicted teachers encouraged their students to carry placards of blacks currently passing through a nefarious case or those that have laid bad precedence for the black race. For instance Dennis Rodman, nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The Worm", ex-basketball player experienced an unhappy childhood, was shy and introverted in his early years. After aborting a suicide attempt in 1993, he reinvented himself as the prototypical "bad boy" and became notorious for numerous controversial antics. He dyed his hair in artificial colours, presented himself with many piercing and tattoos and regularly disrupted games by clashing with opposing players and officials.
Some reactions against the aforementioned incident suggest that racism still has its root deep root in Western world.
According to the president of the Los Angeles branch of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, Leon Jenkins, "I just can't fathom what these teachers were thinking of except to make a mockery of African American history,"
L.C. "Chris" Strudwick-Turner of the Los Angeles Urban League likened the episode to a series of racially provocative incidents at UC San Diego, where a Feb. 15 off-campus party mocked Black History Month.
"These kinds of things build on each other," she said. "When something like that happens in [San Diego] and there is no immediate consequence, which emboldens others. That's why I was glad that LAUSD took them out of the classroom right away."
Pollard-Terry said Simpson, Rodman and RuPaul were included on a list of prominent African Americans approved by the school for study during Black History Month.
There are many Africa Americans that have put up positive contributions in the fight against racism against blacks.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who paid the price in the end for wanting change. Malcolm X was not only a Muslim minister, but also a human rights activist who died for change. Harriet Tubman (a.k.a. Black Moses) as well, she helped free slaves with her underground railroad. Let's not forget the Tuskegee Airmen, Jackie Robinson or Rosa Parks who all paved the way for black airmen, athletes and civilians to have an equal existence. But is that all? Did no one else contribute?
What about contemporary Africa Americans, is their roles significant in The Black History Month?
There are great black poets such as Maya Angelou, who is still alive and still creating great works in film rather than in books.
Bill Cosby: not only is he a great family man on television, but he has also been a contributor to debates about blacks in colleges, the ghettos and what needs to be done now to better our black communities. Even Jesse Jackson should be a notable mention; he's still fighting for the civil rights of others and politically campaigning for better schools in black communities as well.
How about scientists like Madame CJ Walker, who contributed to the hair care of all? Dr. Charles Drew, who performed heart transfusions when no one thought he could. There were plenty of inventors, chemists and educators such as Percy L. Julian, George Carruthers, George Washington Carver, James West and Granville T. Woods who helped to create railroads, observatories and peanut butter.
A lot of these scientists were the first to experiment with objects lying around and created useful commodities for us today. They have also paved the way for black people to become something more than what they were expected to become.
How about successful black people? Do you pay attention to great directors and producers like Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Robert Townsend or Suzanne De Passé? Both Spike Lee and Robert Townsend have been creating movies since the 1980s.
Both have made the main focus of their movies centre around the racial and social divide of cultures, and they should be honoured more for their work. Some say that Tyler Perry is the new Spike Lee. I mean, have you seen his movies? He should be praised for capturing the essence of black families and putting them into films.
There are great actors and actresses such as Halle Berry, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Denzel Washington, Sanaa Lathan and more who owe their careers to veteran actors and actresses such as Dorothy Dandridge, Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg.
All of these entertainers have made us laugh, cry and love with their portrayal of characters in all of their movies we watch almost every day. Some of them are beginning to get recognition at award shows like the Emmys and Golden Globes, but more need to be recognized for their outstanding performances.
Athletes such as Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabaar, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Florence Joyner and plenty more have paved the way for the great athletes today like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Mike Tyson, Marion Jones, Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, Venus and Serena Williams and so forth. We watch these players every day beyond the month of February, so let's continue to recognize them as well.
The music industry also has given us great producers like Berry Gordy and Russell Simmons. Both men have produced artists such as Run DMC, LL Cool J, Jay-Z, the Temptations, Supremes and let's not forget the late-great Michael Jackson, who should be honoured for the path he has opened to most of today's artists. There are other great artists like Boys II Men, Jodeci, En Vogue, Patti Labelle and Aretha Franklin who started the way for today's performers as well.
While the above listed Africa Americans have contributed immensely and are still contributing to make a difference in their immediate American society and the world at large, they are giving the black race a louder voice and create impetus for their black president (Obama) to turn things around.
