Black History, Culture & Civil RIghts
Audio version:
Coming soon.
IMPORTANT VOCABULARY BEFORE READING:
black — adjective 1: belonging to or denoting a human group having dark-colored skin, especially of sub-Saharan African ancestry.
noun 1: a member of a human group having dark-colored skin, especially one of sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Af·ri·can - adjective: relating to Africa or its people, customs, or languages.
noun: a person from Africa.
A·mer·i·can - adjective: relating to or characteristic of the United States or its inhabitants.
noun: a native or citizen of the United States.
his·to·ry - noun 1: the study of past events, particularly in human affairs.
noun 2: the whole series of past events connected with someone or something.
cul·ture - noun 1: the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.
noun 2: the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.
right - noun 1: that which is morally correct, just, or honorable.
noun 2: a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way.
civ·il rights - noun: the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.
e·qual·i·ty - noun: the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.
di·ver·si·ty - noun 1: the state of being diverse; variety.
noun 2: the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.
eq·ui·ty - noun: the quality of being fair and impartial.
in·clu·sion - noun 1: the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure.
noun 2: the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups.
Black History & It’s Amazingly Rich Culture
Everything and everyone has a history, an ancestry, a past. Events in the past all lead up to now that created you and the people and world around you. Sometimes that history is good, sometimes it’s bad. However, we can’t change the past but we can learn from it and celebrate it, all the time, not on just specific days or months. We all are unique and different in our own special ways, however we all are more similar than you may believe. We may look different, talk different, think different but in the end, we are all human on the same planet experiencing and sharing the same reality and universe.
Today, we’ll be specifically examining and looking at Black/ African/ African American history. The current accepted scientific theory says we as humans all came and evolved originally from Africa. So that means every single one of us eventually all the way back from the beginning should have common ancestors from Africa. So in a way, African history is the history of all of us, all of humanity. Africa itself has such diverse culture with many different languages, art, beliefs, etc. throughout all of it many territories and countries. There is so many things to go over and cover that it is hard to pick one to focus on. So I encourage you to check out this link to Wikipedia and go over and read about everything yourself.
Civil RIghts & FIghting For Equality
Even though we are all connected in some way, for some reason some of us still treat others as less or even below human. Africans specifically throughout history, and especially in American history, have been continuously discriminated against and even used or viewed as property. Many African Americans have ancestors who were forcibly brought here on boats from Africa to be sold as slaves in the early years of the U.S. They were treated as animals by many, usually being given only bare minimum to survive, if even that and had no rights as a human. Eventually this unjust and unfair treating of our fellow humans lead to the American Civil War which saw the north and south fight for their rights…or to keep rights away from people.
Luckily, with things like the Underground Railroad and President Abraham Lincoln at the helm, the north won and abolished slavery giving many people their human rights back…well at least some of them. However, it was start! Unfortunately a lot of laws, even to this day were written and made in ways to disadvantage others while keeping others safe and in power. Many people still viewed Black people as something other than human and not equal. Segregation was still everywhere in America with certain things like Black or White specific water fountains even. Which just sounds absurd and silly today doesn’t it? However, that’s how the system was only a few decades ago until the Civil Rights movement happened lead by Martin Luther King Jr.
Mural of MLK Jr. in Toledo, OH.
Credit: The Weekly Bugle :)
He brought the idea of equality for everyone into the forefront and minds of the entire nation and world. He lead the charge and got real change moving in U.S. until he was unfortunately assassinated. Segregation was eventually ended and voting rights were passed. However, even still to this day, some Black families and communities still are discriminated against and feeling the generational affects of these unjust laws and times. This is were equity comes into effect, trying to undo and correct the wrongs of the past and giving certain people advantages to get them on equal footing with everyone else. The work isn’t done put we can and are always making progress. Remember, we are all human sharing the same planet. Let’s treat us all as equals and fairly so we can maybe one day truly find world peace.
Thank you for reading this article. Remember to stay happy and healthy! :)
