February is the month that recognizes Black History. My understanding of why this special recognition is so important has grown and matured over my life. Each year I learn about more people that make up the body and works of the African American people since 1619. Since then, the Africans have come ashore in the swampy Chesapeake region of Virginia, where there have been countless men and women in every field of endeavor that has made America a greater place.
The contributions of Black Americans have added to the greatness of our shared home. Factually, I know that without the words and works of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, the seeds for our modern day may not have been planted.
I know that it was the students at Kent State who first proposed Black History Month in February, 1969. A year later the first celebration was held there. In 1976, President Gerald Ford formally recognized Black History Month.
Last month we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr., a man who stood tall in his convictions. How many of us can even imagine the kind of mountain he dreamt of in his famous and inspiring speech? King understood that we are all brothers and sisters, not categorized by the pigment of our skin.
It was King who, in the sixties, inspired us to stand up for all people. Unfortunately, his life was stolen by a bullet. It was the decade of bullets evidently as we also lost both President John Kennedy and his brother, Senator Robert Kennedy, to a similar fate. These deaths left a huge mark on me and stirred me towards more civil involvement.
Actor Sidney Poitier was the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for best actor. His legacy in film left us treasures such as “Lilies of the Field,” “To Sir with Love” and “Guess Who’s Coming for Dinner?” I never miss a movie with Denzel Washington and have long been a fan of Whoopi Goldberg and Dorothy Dandridge.
Hank Aaron is thought to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time. His effect on the dreams of young boys cannot be defined, for Aaron gave them hope that anything is possible. Jim Brown had the same effect on many who dreamt of growing up to be a famous football player.
Tiger Woods opened new horizons for future golfers when he was the first Black man to win the Masters. Michael Jordan helped inspire those who had high “hoops” for a career in basketball.
Clarence Thomas was the first Black man to serve on the Supreme Court. Colin Powell was the first Black man to serve as Secretary of State, while Condoleezza Rice was the first Black woman to fill that role. Trailblazer Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress. Barack Obama served as our first Black president for two terms.
Henrietta Lacks, since her death from cervical cancer, has become immortalized by the book and movie about her contribution to cancer research. Thanks to her cells, it has helped open many doors and led to endless life savings.
We have been charmed by the music of so many talented Black men and women such as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Some of the true thrills of my life were when I got to see some of these musical heroes in person, such as Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, Little Richard and Chubby Checker. Just typing those names makes me want to get up and dance.
I grew up loving the sultry sounds of Lena Horne, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Ron’s dream was to have Mahalia Jackson sing at his funeral. I could not fulfill that dream, but I played her albums until they were stripped.
Remember the magic made by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong? Marion Anderson was considered one of the greatest contralto singers in the world and was the first Black woman to perform at the Metropolitan opera house.
George Washington Carver is just one on the long list of inventors and scientists who made their mark with his discoveries of all the secret uses of the common peanut.
Mae Jemes was the first Black woman who orbited into space aboard the Endeavor. Gwendlyn Brooks is considered one of the most revered poets of the twentieth century. She was the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for Annie Allen.
Harriet Tubman was a true hero, an abolitionist who saved so many in her tunnels. Many Americans were introduced to Bayard Rustin in the powerful movie, “Rustin,” that came out last year. Martin Luther King Jr. credited Rustin for the March to Washington in 1963.
Oprah Winfrey plays the role of true heroine Annie Lee Cooper in the epic film “SELMA.” Cooper played a crucial role in the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March. I have admired Rosa Parks almost all my life. I still wonder how some people found the courage to make their stands. Imagine the grit displayed by refusing to get off that bus.
Dorothy Hieger is hailed as the Goddess of the women’s movement. Hieger was also a leader in the Young Women’s Christian Assocition (YWCA) and was the president of the National Council of Negro Woman for 40 years.
I must draw this to a close, for I have made so many notes on this subject that it could be encyclopedic. There are too many for any one column and these are but a random few. I am sure all of you readers could make very long lists of your own. How fortunate it is that America has the combined gifts to make such a wonderful tapestry of humanity.
Diana Ingram can be reached at DingramThurston21@gmail.com
