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It Is Time!

By June Boyd
Guest Editorial

The murder of George Floyd and a number of African Americans recently in this new decade 2020 has caused a major uproar in the United States and worldwide.

I can only reflect on what else must be done. Black Lives Matter, but so does the history of African Americans. It is time for educators nationwide to introduce the study of Black History as part of the curriculum into the classroom.

As a junior at St. Ursula Academy in 1952, our class project required writing an essay. The most important person I could introduce to my class was George Washington Carver, one of two African Americans I was familiar with.  The other person was Madam C.J. Walker.  My parents had told me of this great man who had much success with a peanut.  The travesty is that at that time, I had not heard of the hundreds of inventions and successes having from come from African Americans.

When my eight-year-old granddaughter came home with a Black History quiz from St. Ann School, in 1991, I did not know the answers to the questions and had to take her to the public library.  How embarrassing.

As an adult, I have made a strong effort to see that my grandchildren are familiar with our rich history and legacy.

The one month that is set aside is not enough.  This history must be introduced to classrooms as is American History, World History and Ancient History, which I studied in high school.

To give a sample of my thoughts as to why we must have Black History in the classroom: we remember Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, however, Sojourner Truth was there also, and delivered a most powerful speech reflecting the times of women suffrage and the right to vote.

There was Chief Justice Earl Warren, but we had Thurgood Marshall; there was General Douglas McArthur, but we have four-star General, Colin Powell. There was Abraham Lincoln; we had Barack Obama; There was Larry Bird, then came LeBron James; there was Arnold Palmer, then came Tiger Woods. Nadia Comaneci was an outstanding gymnast, but the new kid on the block is Symone Biles; Babe Ruth was a champion home run hitter, Hank Aaron broke his record.

This column does not have enough space for the hundreds of famous African Americans who made their mark on America.

During this national protest, my 11-year-old Goddaughter asked me; “Granma June, are we going back to slavery?”

I responded: “no, but we are in a revolution.”

She asked “what is a revolution?”  I responded, “a rebellion and uprising, fighting for our rights to eliminate the injustices our people are faced with.”

The reality is that Black Lives Do Matter, and the world needs to know it.  The introduction to Black History as a part of curriculum in the school system, public and parochial, will be the beginning of something that should have been available many years ago.

Educators, take notice, we need this as part of a solution to the rich history that has been set aside.   

 

   
   


Copyright © 2019 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 08/13/20 10:45:52 -0400.


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