Our Future History
By Maceo Keeling –
My father often gave me great and enduring advice.
He said “Son, don’t let your future sneak up on you!” His advice is relevant today because this is the future for those who came before us. They made great sacrifices in the hope that we would have more than they had. They imagined, hoped, prayed, and died with the expectation that their work and their sacrifice would not have been in vain.
We have traversed the month of January with all of its fanfare and resolutions. Now we stare into Black History Month. The legacy and contributions of blacks in America is rich and incalculable. The question is: What will our future generations remember about us?
Certainly we will look back with great pride at the nation’s first black president, Barack H. Obama. However, will they remember notable historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, who in 1926 announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week?” Will they know about Sarah Breedlove (December 23, 1867-May 25, 1919), a black woman known as “Madam C. J. Walker,” who was the first female American millionaire. Or Garrett A. Morgan, inventor of one of the first traffic lights used in America?
They may recall Oprah Winfrey as the first black female billionaire; Tiger Woods, Dr. Ben Carson, Dr. Keith Black, Ken Chennault, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, and the litany of black entertainers. Raymond McGuire, Dr. Henri Ford, Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Damon John, Ronald E. McNair, Charles F. Bolden, Yvonne Cagle; all leaders and innovators in fields ranging from medicine and sports to entertainment, education, science, and finance.
As we look back on the accomplishments of our parents, grandparents, and our other black brothers and sisters, let us consider how we can leverage our talents to exact change for our children’s future.
The first way we can contribute to change in this election season is to exercise our hard-earned right to vote. We did not struggle in the same manner as our forefathers for the right to vote, but we cannot forget the sacrifices they made for us.
This election season, let’s each get a voting partner and go to the polls on March 15, 2016 – or vote early between March 3 and 12. We can impose our will at the polls, and hold each other accountable. Ask a friend if they are registered to vote.
If you are socially active and looking for a reason to party, have a voter registration party! The forms are available at post offices, public agencies, and your local board of elections. Once the forms are complete, then it’s time to eat! Support the candidate of your choice, if you want your voice heard.
Black History Month is a time to commemorate, celebrate, agitate and activate! We can stir up dialogue at home and serve as agents for change by equipping ourselves to talk about our contribution as blacks in Asheville and North Carolina. Go out to Black History events and support the efforts of our students who most often present them. Applaud them for their work and boast about what you’ve learned.
We don’t have to be great to get started, but we do have to get started to become great!
Answer the call!
The Conscious Call radio program airs every Monday at 11:30 a.m. on WRES-FM 100.7. In a collaboration with the radio program, the Urban News will help keep readers informed about events, programs, news, and the progress of The Conscious Call. The opinions and statements made in this column are solely the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the Urban News.
