I can tell its February because schools, universities, businesses, churches, and many other organizations
are joining in a variety of Black History Month activities, not limited to, but including, interracial
discussions, art exhibits, speeches, newspaper articles, musical tributes and soul food dinners.
Many of us will pay homage to and celebrate the life and contributions of such notable African Americans
as Dr. King, the voice of the modern Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks, the mother of the modern Civil
Rights Movement, Martin Delaney, the father of Black Nationalism, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman,
Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, Tony Dungy, and, yes, President Barack Obama.
Indeed, all of these individuals are worthy of our praise and honor. Unfortunately, however, due to the
emphasis on Black in Black History Month, many white Americans, such as Elijah Lovejoy, Viola Luizzo,
William Moore, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, all who were murdered by other white Americans
because of their involvement in the struggle for freedom, justice, and equality for Black Americans,
will not be mentioned in many of the speeches and programs.
This is unfortunate because the words and deeds of these heroic Americans stand as examples to whites and
blacks alike of what it means to be an American. These courageous white Americans and many others like
them, Prudance Crandall, Levi Coffin, Thomas Garrett, to name a few, suffered physical attacks,
financial ruin, social ostracism, and imprisonment in order to make it possible for Black Americans to
shed the shackles of slavery, to eat at the lunch counter, to cast their ballot, to attend our nation’s
public schools, and to ride in the front of the bus.
They also remind us that the American Dream is a dream that must be shared by all Americans regardless of
color or creed. Let’s remember and honor them for their contributions to Black History.
Jack Taylor
Bowling Green