Message to the Future: To People of African Descent

From Wallace E. Bohanan

Today is Labor Day, September 7, 2015.

Our nation celebrates and acknowledges the working people of America by giving them the day off. This brings to my mind the history of slavery in this country from the mid 1500s to the mid 1800s, a period of 300 years.

Africans were brought to this country against their will and violently forced to labor all day, every day, for those three hundred years (minus 3 days per year for Christmas and New Years). The hunger for freedom never ceased for our people, and eventually we gained a release from slavery. However, at this time we are still struggling for equality and justice in this country.

Despite the violence perpetrated against us we did not usually resort to violence to gain our freedom, justice, or equality. Instead, we worked diligently and intelligently together to make our mark in this country. Despite the terrorism our communities suffered for over 100 years after slavery, we kept our families together, raised our children and grandchildren to be strong, resilient human beings, and managed to thrive as a people.

By the time you read this, one hundred years will have passed. I wonder what kind of world you have inherited. Has our strength and resiliency brought about even greater accomplishments? Perhaps there is not any separation by skin color or cultural identification. Is it possible that you only identify yourself as a member of the human race, and everyone is respected and treated as an equal?

Or has inequality and injustice brought about a destruction of this country and the world as we know it? There are many signs that the economic, judicial, educational, and medical systems are not working to serve the majority of people. There is an elite class of people that represent about 10% of the country’s population. They control almost all of the aforementioned systems. Yet, there is an awakening and continued struggle to bring all people of every color and every culture together for the good of everyone. Will we succeed?

Whatever you are experiencing at this time, please know that we, as a people, have endured many hardships through perseverance and togetherness. We have tried to leave you a better world than what we have now. I only hope that you are living in that better world. May peace, love, and blessings be with you.