African American History Month...

Adia,

If there is one thing you learn from me I hope it is seeing everyone as an equal to you.  No matter the skin color, you are no better than anyone else.  Growing up in the south is not an easy place to be if you're trying to be accepting of all people.  There are still many hard lines drawn in the sand about what is right and what is wrong when it comes to other races.  It's getting better though, and my hope is that it will be an even lesser issue when you are grown.  I also encourage you to cross those lines, ignore those prejudices, and to be 'color blind'.

February is African American History month.  I have always been interested in the history of African Americans and the civil rights movements of the 1950's and 1960's.  I have tried to educate myself on African American history, which I will encourage you to do as well.  I am looking forward to taking you to Montgomery, Alabama to see where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus.  There is a Rosa Parks museum in Montgomery and a Civil Rights Memorial/Museum as well.  I grew so much as a person from going to those places and being surrounded by that history.

In the Rosa Parks museum, they have a walk-through exhibit of the exact events that occurred the night Rosa Parks was arrested.  The museum has a replica of the bus that Rosa Parks was on that world-changing night. As I was standing in front of the bus, listening to audio of men and women screaming obscene, demeaning vulgarities and threatening the life of Mrs. Parks, I started to shake.  My heart started beating faster.  I started breathing heavy, and was getting chills.  The audio ignited the 'fight or flight' mechanism in my body and I wanted to run.  I felt this hopelessness wash over my body and was frozen in fear.  When the audio went off, I exhaled with relief thanking God it was over.  Then I realized, this was an every day occurrence in the life of so many African Americans during that time.  My heart broke into so many pieces over and over during the days I spent in Montgomery, Alabama.  It is so impossibly hard for me to believe that one human being could treat another human being so horribly.  I believe it happened for far too long, and I passionately believe it must never happen again.

Some people you encounter through the years will voice that they don't see why there should be a month specifically dedicated to African American history.  The reason I want you to remember is, we need this month to come around every year so we will never forget the horrible things African Americans have gone through.  History must not, and simply cannot, repeat itself in that way.  So by remembering all the tortured African American souls and their stories in February of every year, surely we will be reminded of the inhumane mistakes we made and continue to learn from those mistakes.  We also need this month to remind people about all the great accomplishments and inventions African Americans have contributed to our country and to the world.  Some people will continue to be raised to think African Americans aren't an equal, but by reminding them of the genius minds of African Americans, maybe one day they will realize their ignorant beliefs are so unfounded. 

A personal story relating to our family during the 1920-40's in the south:  Your Great-Grandfather Moore was pretty much raised by a black man, named Sam.  When I first learned about this as a younger child, I was so ashamed that my family would participate in, what I thought, was slavery.  But I later learned the real story and he was not a slave at all.  Your Great-Grandfather's mother preferred and loved working outside, so she would work the fields while Sam watched the kids.  The exact quote to describe a typical day in their life was, "Mrs. Moore would be out working in the fields while Sam sat, played and read with the children under the trees."  I think that is such a neat history.  Sam lived with the Moore's and I'm assuming they paid him to watch after the kids, but I know they treated him as one of the family.  I wish so badly I could have met him.  I believe he helped mold the mind of your Great-Grandfather.  Sam helped your Great-Grandfather see that everyone is indeed equal.  Your Great-Grandfather passed that knowledge down to your Papa and your Papa passed it on to me.  From what I've heard, Sam was an easy-going and down to earth man, as was your Great-Grandfather. I truly believe Sam is very much a part of who I am, and a part of who you are as well... And for that I feel privileged and so thankful.

I am very much inspired to learn more about Mr. Sam.  And I hope to record it all down for you.  Always remember, every human being is a gift to this world so make sure you treat them that way.