Black Future Month (Sign Petition)

THE NEW UNDERGROUND RAILROAD PROJECT

By Clarence Mason (AKA Mason Weaver)

Leave The Plantation Organization has declared March BLACK FUTURE MONTH.

The Memorial of Harriet Tubman, March 1913.

Now is a time to celebrate and contemplate the Spiritual, Political, Economical, and Cultural opportunities opening up to Black people in America. Now is a time to prepare ourselves to participate in the prosperity flowing through our nation.

With the Historical record low unemployment, poverty rate, and higher income, this is a time to celebrate our future. With the record stock market, it’s time to become investors. With Billions more cash flowing to Historically Black Colleges, it is more opportunity for education. Black people have more political power, economic power, and more influence over our social and financial future. It seems to be a perfect time to take advantage of them all.

February is Black History Month; I wonder who picked the coldest, wettest, shortest month of the year to remember the History of African people and their descendants in America? How did we come to have Black History Month in February?

Why not remember the History of Black people during January for the month Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and the birthday of Dr. King? Perhaps, we could recognize it during December for the make-believe holiday of Kwanzaa. How about June in recognition of “Juneteenth” the liberation of slaves in Texas?

Why February? I know it was Fredrick Douglass Birthday month as well as Abraham Lincoln, but Congress abolished slavery in April 1862; the thirteenth amendment was ratified in December of 1865, why not one of these months? Slavery began in August 1619 at Jamestown, Virginia.

It seems to me that the recognition of Black History was chosen with no recognition of our History. However, the real question should not be what month, but why. Why do we celebrate or commemorate the History of one race of Americans with a special month? I understand the pride Black Americans have in our History and contributions to this country. However, I fail to understand why we insist upon government recognition, news specials, and public acknowledgment of our contributions.

The History of Black Americans should be maintained privately within the culture, not paraded out every February. We should be talking to our children about our family history as well as our racial, cultural History. They are our children, and that makes it our responsibility only. When we allow the government, schools, media, and others to lead the remembrance of our History, we are in danger of losing it.

Germans are proud of being German, but we do not see them parading around on “Viking Day” with horn helmets. Instead, they think about building a better Mercedes. Italians are proud of their Roman History but would rather tell you about their future plans. Their culture is based upon what lies ahead, not the past. Culture has to be connected with the future.

The Black community is far too complex to be identified as one culture and our History is far too complex for one month. We, Black Americans, should recognize our historical responsibilities every month. There is a lot to gain from History and a large debt to pay.

While we honor the contemporary heroes in our communities, let us not forget why we honor them.

Discrimination, segregation, and a racist culture forced and shaped our History. If we honor the History of a struggle, we owe a debt to honor the price paid in that struggle.

Being the descendants of African Kings and Queens is of little value if we are acting like paupers and sheep. It does not matter what month we celebrate our History; it only matters how you honor it.

There is no honor in remembering their sacrifices if we are not going to take advantage of what they gained. They broke open the doors; the real celebration will be going through those doors. Struggling threw adversity is our History; what we do with the victory will be our legacy.

Let us not spend more time remembering our History than we do in making tomorrow’s History. We cannot take pride in what someone else has done with their lives, only in what we have done with ours. It is called “self-pride.”

Clarence Mason Weaver is an author and motivational speaker and Founder of Leave The Plantation Organization

“If you look back into History as you walk forward, you will stumble into the future!” Masonism.