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February 23, 2007
Black History Month Rolls Out The Greatest of Africa and the African Diaspora
By: Janice Dayle
 Although it is the shortest and coldest month, February has taken on a vibrant holiday type spirit as folk in North America and Jamaica get excited about the highly anticipated Black History Month celebrations. The greatest thing about Black History Month is the opportunity to become enlightened by the wealth of knowledge now easily accessible, as opposed to the not too distant past, when Black stories were muffled and seemingly deemed irrelevant. Africa has been called the mother of mankind, so the history of those from the African Diaspora is understandably huge.
Jamaica's own Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1887-1940), one of the most widely known advocates for the rights of Black people, once said - Mankind must know their history in order to chart their destiny. On February 7, 1926 the first Negro History Week was founded by American historian, Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson (1875 - 1950) and it was later expanded in 1976, to become Black History Month. In the United Kingdom, Black History Month is celebrated in October each year.
It is a very long journey back in time, and as we sift through a legacy of slavery, suffering, trials and triumphs, precious segments of Africa's and the Black Man's past emerge like newly discovered jewels. This priceless information takes us back to the times of Imhotep (2667 B.C. - 2648 B.C.), who was a poet, an architect and physician-priest. He is best known as the chief architect of the step pyramid at Saqqara - the world’s first known monumental stone building.
Another example, is the uncovering of stories found in the Kebar Nagast, or the Glory of Kings, where facts about Makeda, the Queen of Sheba (c. 960 B.C.) also come to light. This beautiful love story about King Solomon of biblical times and his infatuation with Ethiopia's Queen, Makeda, was embedded in this chronicle of the rulers of Ethiopia called Kebar Nagast.
Accounts about great kings like Abraha Al-Ars*ham (d. A.D. 569), an emperor of Ethiopia, whose adoption of Christianity is said to have altered the face of the world, come to the forefront during Black History Month, as does the history of Jamaica's Maroons and their leader, Cudjoe, who around 1730, valiantly rebelled and for 140 years defied white slave owners, finally forcing them to seek a treaty of peace.
There is the untold story of Canadian slavery in 1734 with its poignant tale of Marie-Joseph Angelique who was hung after setting fire to her slave owner's home in Montreal to avoid being sold and to run away. Then of course there was emancipation and its implications for Black slaves all over the western world – and post slavery days, when the dominant society's opinion that Blacks constitute second class citizens became prevalent.
The struggle to obtain basic rights and freedom in a world that claimed equality for all ensued and folk like Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), who founded the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) emerged as forerunners to great freedom fighters like Dr Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Black History Month gives the world a chance to learn vast amounts of information, historically ignored in mainstream educational systems. It also facilitates the showcasing of international, national and regional achievements of Blacks in our modern world. Check out the Black History Month activities in your area today.
Posted by yardFlex at February 23, 2007 11:40 AM
Comments
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Posted by: topadtop
on February 23, 2007 01:44 PM
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Our past and true history has never been told. Our heroism and valiant battles have been hidden. Our great architecture and designs have been stolen . Our culture and civilization has been eradicated . Our sense of unity has been destroyed. How do we as a people climb back to our to true positions as leaders of the world ? how do we regain our royalty and loyalty that once made us the envy of the days of old ? How ? We star by learning about our past , we start by freeing our self from mental slavery , we start by recognising that our known history was created by the very people that want us stay lost , we start by losing the inferiority complex that most of us have gained over time . Knowledge is power and a lack of it means a lack of power . My people we have to star now.
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Posted by: out and bad
on February 23, 2007 02:20 PM
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nuf respect to the great ones of society, Mr Garvey your words r like gravy on a Sunday after noon dinner its needed and worth using and it keeps us coming back for more, nuff black people in hear will not post in this page because they r lost to this thing, but i send respect for them all, black people live up and never give up we too righteous, jah bless and guide us for life a we set and a we a go run it.
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Posted by: Twister
on February 23, 2007 04:29 PM
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A man must know his past before he can know where he is going
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Posted by: rebellion
on February 23, 2007 06:53 PM
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seriously, i think jamaican should have dem owna ting an tap follow back a di yankee dem like some follow fashin monkey....
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Posted by: blackman
on February 23, 2007 08:01 PM
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its our time and we must realize and make our step, cause Garvey has done his portion for us so its our time. Thank you Marcus thank you.
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Posted by: Joi
on February 23, 2007 10:52 PM
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Great words. We all need to know our past so we can do betta in the future. it's now or never. lata!
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Posted by: kay
on February 25, 2007 03:05 PM
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jah is love so we are love know your past bigup all blackman
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Posted by: Wade Cameron
on February 26, 2007 10:45 AM
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Mi wish seh wi people can embrace our great leaders an people before us even more. Wi haff come from alot an wi should cherish an tek pride in our heritage.
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Posted by: Liberator
on February 26, 2007 05:37 PM
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Big up Marcus Mosiah Garvey son of Africa. Marcus Garvey gave Africa its flag. Yes the red, black and green flag that is used to represent the continent of Africa (and all Africans home and abroad) was created by Marcus Garvey. This flag came out before any black island in the Caribbean gain independence and before any country on the African contintent gain independence except Ethiopia and Liberia. Ethiopia had always been independent and Liberia became independent in 1847. It was August 13, 1920 in Harlem, USA at the first UNIA Convention that Marcus Garvey presented this flag as the official flag of Africans universally. Marcus Garvey also created the first political party in Jamaica called the PPP-the People's Political Party. This was before there was a JLP and a PNP. He also held a seat in office. He was also the first Rasta man in Jamaica because he was the one who said "Look to Africa Ethiopia for the crowning of a Black king."
Soon after King Tafari was crowned as Emperor Haile Selassie I and this was seen as a fulfillment of prophecy and the Rasta movement took form from there. There is so much more, but space is limited. Give thanks for such a great man as Marcus Mosiah Garvey. One Love!
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Posted by: jahisall
on February 27, 2007 04:08 PM
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F**K just knowing our past we need to learn from it n ensure dat we create d furture we want for ourselves as a race. We done know dat d white man set out to capture n conquer d world now dem control it, so wah we ago do just sit n watch dem Fup our lives, we need to organize as a race n start create wealth for ourselves n start control businesses for ourselves. We need to setup aid to Africa ourselves n start influence d govenment there to govern on d behalf of d people, but wait dem nah do dat a yard so we need to start there. Enery other race a look out for themself a wah appen to we. Member unity is power, d question is how we get d unity???????
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