Why Honor African American History?

Dear friends,

The mere mention of anything that has to do with African American history often causes resentment among much of Our citizenry. To be sure, the reasons for this vary. For example, some people may feel that, when the historical experiences of African Americans are isolated and emphasized, the aforesaid folks are being excluded from the joy of celebrating and recognizing a past that seems to, at least, in part, belong to all of Us. Or, perhaps, the less informed view the aforementioned historical experiences of African American people as insignificant to the overall development of Our communities and country. Finally, a few may even argue that distinguishing one cultural group, in this land, from others makes Us appear to be a divided nation.

However, the importance of acknowledging the contributions of African Americans to the prosperity of North America, generally, lies in the need for all of Us to understand and appreciate the fact that human progress has only occurred due to the efforts of many different peoples. No one body of folks deserves credit for all human accomplishment to this date. Surely, no such group ever will.

In the final analysis, nevertheless, it should become evident that the real legacy of African American people is a group struggle for "equality, dignity, and justice" - not simply individual achievements of "high" social significance, inventions, or athletic excellence. In addition, We should be able to appreciate the importance of African American contributions, enmeshed with the offerings of other cultural groups that have helped bring Our North American communities to their current prominence. Ultimately, We should all then be able to realize that African American history is not a separate history; rather, it merely includes more people in the real story of Our country.

G. Djata Bumpus