Although the current political climate and roll back of DEI initiatives by some major corporations have left me feeling troubled, disappointed and out of sorts, I have the resolve to stand firm in the celebration of Blackness and all its beauty. Like Joshua, I stand and proclaim not only that me and my house will serve the Lord, but that we will also forever celebrate Black History. To that end, I could not let the month of February go by without recapping how we celebrated Black History Month (BHM).
It is so important to me to pass down the traditions of our culture to my son be it through art, music, television, history, sciences, technology – you name it. Black people have made countless contributions in every area of our society and that is worth celebrating. One of the ways that I am intentional about aligning this value with how I parent is the choice of my son’s school. Not to say he will never go to a PWI, but his current school is a Christian Academy that is Christ centered (obviously) and is at a Black church. I want nothing more than for my son to be a follower of and love Christ, and to also love being Black.
In some ways, his preschool experience reminds me of my own. I attended preschool at the child development lab on the campus of Texas Southern University, an HBCU. My memories of this time are limited because I was so young, but I do recall things like having hair grease and a brush at school because the teachers would adjust our ponytails back to their original place after naptime. Things like this provided a nurturing a Black child wouldn’t get anywhere else but in a predominantly Black environment. It was like having aunties at school which created a sense of safety and community. This experience along with growing up in a Black church and going on to attend an inner-city elementary school where we celebrated Black history in a big way every year help set the stage for the pride I have in being Black and in celebrating Blackness.
Similar to my childhood experience, it was not a matter of if Black History Month would be celebrated at my son’s school. When you go where you are celebrated, it is a given. My son’s school hosted a Living Museum for Black History Month where each child was tasked with coming up with a Black History figure to portray. They created a poster board, had to dress as their chosen person, and were tasked with saying a few lines about who they were and what they contributed. The children did an outstanding job. There was Rosa Parks, Ronald McNair, Ann Lowe, Benjamin Banneker, Bessie Coleman, Misty Copeland, and my son was Duke Ellington the obvious choice.
In keeping with the celebration of Blackness during BHM and beyond, I am also more intentional these days in celebrating Blackness by where I shop. There are some stores like Target, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s Club that I no longer patron due to their roll back of DEI initiatives and then there are some like Amazon that I have been slower to give up out of sheer convenience. I am however working on finding an Amazon alternative and have come across other options for spending Black dollars like Julo Shop, Shop the Hood, and Black Nile on social media. I also in watching Roland Martin’s YouTube show was informed of the website By Black which is a directory of Black owned businesses. I love how the name is a double entendre for being made “by” Black people while also serving as a call to action to “buy” Black.
As a mom it’s a bit hard to pivot from all the major brands/retailers (i.e. Amazon) all at once. Where else was I gonna find a tuxedo for a 3.5-year-old quickly and at the right price point but Amazon?! To quote Jay-Z “I ain’t perfect, nobody walking this earth’s surface is, but girlfriend work with kid.”
My heart is in the right place, and I do try to atone for my Amazon dollars by doing other good deeds such as pouring dollars into companies like The Children’s Place. I’ve done some research on their website and see that they partner with the NAACP. They are also celebrating BHM with these oh so cute graphic tees and are where I got my son’s BHM pajamas. Oh yes, we even sleep like the Black kings and queens we are over here.
Music wise, my personal Black History soundtrack is Lalah Hathaway’s Vantablack album. Truth be told, this album was my soundtrack to this past summer and is still in heavy rotation on my Apple Music selections. Vantablack is a term for the blackest black and I love the celebration of blackness that is Lalah’s album for which she was nominated for a Grammy by the way. Although she didn’t win, I am so glad that this body of work was recognized with a much deserved nomination.
To round out Black History Month, I’ve enjoyed watching Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 4-part PBS docuseries “Great Migrations.” I love documentaries and this one is right up my alley. I love to learn about the history of Black people in this country and this series sheds light on the great migration related to the waves of Black people fleeing the south for the promise of better jobs and better treatment in the North, the reverse migration of Blacks back to the South, and the highlighting of the stories of African and Caribbean immigrants who came to America and how they in their own way have shaped American culture and the Black experience.
Black history really is American history and I am so glad that there is still an appreciation and celebration of our history and contributions despite the current political climate.
I am sometimes at a loss for what to do in support of justice and progression for us as a people and was inspired by this conversation between Roland Martin and William H. Lamar IV, the Pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in DC which now owns the Proud Boys name after suing them for their vandalism of said church (how dope is that)?!
Admittedly, I was getting my child fed and was multi-tasking so I missed things and didn’t get to watch the entire show because, bath time. So, I do not want to compromise my journalistic integrity by promoting something that if I go back and watch at full attention may question, but I love the sight of Black men speaking brilliantly about our history and our plight and providing solutions especially at this time when I really feel we as a people need a multi-pronged call to action. I encourage you to watch and I will rewatch.
Retraction forthcoming if needed :).
Young(ish), Gifted(ish), and BLACK
Mrs. O
