The Plainsman Press - South Plains College

Omar Ojeda, staff writer

The first few thoughts that people usually have when they hear ‘February’ is mainly love, hearts, and income tax, for those in the working class. I think a big part of February that takes place, which a lot of people may not think about, is that it’s Black History Month. It’s a big part of American culture, whether we admit it or not.

Black culture is very unique in America. From the time Africans were brought over by plantation owners in the 1500s until the Civil War, they weren’t considered people, but property (slaves). I guess that’s why it’s hard for some people to get used to the fact the times have changed and everyone is more or less equal.

Some of the racism we see is because of the different cultures and what people were raised to believe in those cultures. I, especially, am proud of the Black culture, for overcoming obstacles that seem impossible to me. From the Emancipation Proclamation to the Civil Rights Movement, Blacks have fought to just be equal with the rest of us. From famous basketball player, Michael Jordan, to the first Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, there is a wide variety of famous Black “firsts.” Of course, just like with any other culture, they have the embarrassments, such as the “slums” and “projects” that some people associate with them.

I think that Black History is very under-represented, and there should be more participation in it by all Americans. It’s very educational and interesting to learn how Blacks earned their place in society.

My favorite topic is when Martin Luther King Jr. led the Civil Rights Movement with all the protests and marches for his beliefs of non-violent disobedience. From the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., to his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, he was the greatest leader in Black History. I guess that’s the reason he’s the only non-president we have a federal holiday for. The only step that Blacks haven’t taken is the presidential seat. They are getting close though, with Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice, the first Black woman to be appointed to Secretary of State. I think more than likely we will have a female president before a Black president. I can understand that it’s hard to deal with the thought of hate groups not wanting that. I know it’s a scary thought, but if you come from a long line of discrimination against your culture and have proven everyone wrong, that you can do anything that they can, why not go for the gold?

The reason I’m voicing my opinion on this particular subject is because society doesn’t stop to see how they have evolved into a more heterogeneous culture and should respect another culture as they do their own. Even though I’m not African American, I still take an interest in the history of this month and why they are still fighting today. I encourage everyone to take on a subject to see why it’s a big deal today, maybe not Black History Month, but along those lines. I just used that as my example, but I am learning a great deal about it. Go ahead, you can never learn too much.