Black people are power. That is our history. That is who we are, in every way. And, at every stage of history, we have been powerful. Even at moments when it may have appeared that we were powerless, we had power. If we did not have power, then those trying to suppress us would not have been working so hard to do so.
I contemplated this thought throughout the month of February. I saw many wonderful postings of extraordinary people during Black History Month. I learned new things about people and was reminded of the accomplishments and achievements of pioneers in every field of study. I felt joy and triumph at the culmination of the Academy Awards as Oscars were given out to blacks in categories for the first time ever. And, I know that those will be the last time for the first time. Yes, we will not be stopped again because we are power-filled.
So far this Presidential campaign season, there are already announced two black candidates seeking the Presidency of these United States of America. I do not know if either will be successful in 2020 but I do now know that President Barack Obama’s Presidency will not be the only time we have a black in the White House. It is simply a question of when, not if. Why? Because we have power. Because we are powerful. If it were not so, others would not be so focused on suppressing us.
Our history is wrought with pain and suffering, yet it is also overwhelmed with kings and queens and kingdoms and creations of science and math and pyramids. Our history did not begin on a slave ship and it does not end on Jim Crow laws of segregation. We have never been satisfied with the crumbs from the kitchen even when we had to eat them to survive. While we may have devoured the pig’s feet and picked the cotton to sustain our livelihood, our inner being has been and always will be to look beyond our current circumstances and prepare for the moment of flight.
When education was denied us, we learned to read by candlelight after our day’s work was done because we knew the value it would bring to us. When the doors of the schools were not opened for us, eventually working with like-minded people we established schools of all levels of learning that could teach us. Historically black colleges and universities are not obsolete today because their mission remains strong and they do a wonderful job in the comprehensive task of preparing a person for a career. One of my daughters said to me that college is about more than getting a degree, it’s about getting comfortable in your own skin.
While many doors may seemingly be open, it’s also where can we walk and feel ourselves, not wear a mask for day and another for night while receiving the best of the best. Choose that which gives you your own power.
I am strongly encouraged even during discouraging times that our history is power. Black power is us. When I went to see the movie Black Panther in 2018, I loved the segment on the actual Black Panther civil rights movement. It was educational for me and showed the power that we’ve had. The Black Panthers were focused on more than political issues. They had health clinics, food programs, and schools and did motivational speaking to youth to keep them focused on getting education. They encouraged black men to be good fathers. They wanted black people to be proud to be black. When I saw the BlackKKlansman movie, the same points came across about the Black Panther movement. They were a political movement but if that is all we know them for, we miss the totality of the good they were doing. Their history was power.
When I think of black history, I think of all the types of music that has been a part of us. Oh yes, there’s spirituals, gospel, blues, jazz, rhythm & blues. And hip-hop too. Hip-hop is not just music, it’s a culture. Hip-hop is power. It influences thinking. It influences how people dress. It influences what people buy. It influences how people even take care of their bodies. Hip-hop is a billion dollar industry with an impact on many people. If we dismiss it as just music, particularly if we choose to not understand any of it, we miss how it is power. Hip-hop is Black History too so we need to claim it as our power.
Black history is every day and all of us. We aren’t reduced to one month but I do like have a month with extra emphasis and extra celebration. This time I celebrated the power of it all and realized that our history is our power. I marveled at how much we have come through and how much more we can do. I raised a glass in awe of the many people whose shoulders I stand on. I thought about who to highlight and kept thinking that I wasn’t sure who I wanted to leave out if I selected just a few. I am so proud of so many. I am grateful to have lived through a time that experienced so many firsts, yet I am anxious to see the seconds and thirds and then lose track because it’s common and we don’t have to count any more.
But, our power must be fought every day too. We have to remain vigilant. We have to stay woke. We can lose it in the blink of an eye if we become complacent or complicit … lest we forget. Now is not the time to think the pains and struggles are over. Indeed, they may never be.
Power, that’s our history. Power, that’s what we must reclaim every day. Stay woke.
calliopehummingbirdproject 