Black History Month reflections

Sorry folks! I've been off the blog for a while, but a brief battle with the flu (which I lost) and being stuck in airports had a lot to do with my absence.

Most of my visits in February were centered around Black History Month activities. The weather wiped out more than half of my speaking engagements but not my enthusiasm to share with students the rich history, culture and experiences of African American and African people.

How do you interest the youth of hip hop in their history? Where do you start with a group that thinks their history begins with American slavery? Who do you tell them about first? How do introduce them to the thousands of heros and sheros outside of Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman? How do you respond when they say, "Those African kings and queens ain't got jack to do with me!" For them, Tupac and Biggie Smalls and other living and dead gangsta hip hop icons are the real deal because of their bank accounts, cars, cribs and ho's.

February is a short month, but with the ill feelings in the hip hop community against our history, for some it's not short enough.

As painful as their view is, it's not entirely their fault. We parents, educators and ministers have failed them. How many times have you seen the same tired images year after year hanging on the walls of schools and churches? You would think that black people haven't birthed a hero or shero since the civil rights movement.

By the way, have you noticed how the images of great African leaders, kings and queens (with the beer logo in the lower right corner) can only be found on the walls of the local barber shop?

All is not lost! During a recent visit to Fort Wayne, Indiana, I encountered a group of young warriors at the SBA Academy-Wisser Park Youth Center. They performed a tune entitled "Bring Black Back." In the words of hip hop, it was off the hook!

The performers sang and rapped about the days of pride, brother/sisterhood and respect for the elders. They encouraged their peers to pull each other up instead of pulling one another down. They chose to utilize hip hop in a positive way, the way of the people. They made both Africans and African Americans from today to yesterday proud of our history.