February is Black History Month

Thousands of years of history cannot be compressed into one blog post. Neither can the complexity of the African Diaspora be represented solely through the experience of Black America.

Nevertheless, this blog post is intended to honor the heritage of people of African ancestry, a story that has its roots in the beginning of human civilization, and that continues substantially to impact every aspect of life in the new millennium.

In the United States, Dr. Carter G. Woodson is credited with having focused the nation's attention upon recognizing annually the historic contributions that African-Americans have made in this society. This effort - having begun as a week-long observance within academia - has now developed into a month-long annual celebration across a wide mosaic of American subcultures, experienced in an even wider range of expressions.

In connection with any European presence in the Americas, this history dates to a point no later than the Jamestown settlement in 1607, although not necessarily connected to slavery or other involuntary servitude. Apart from that presence, substantial evidence suggests an African presence in the Western Hemisphere that far predates Jamestown.

Through the past 400 years, Black history has been largely a litany of struggle for survival and personal dignity, predominately as a background that demonstrates a miraculous influence of a sovereign God. This struggle has brought out the best and worst in humanity, and remains to the present date as the counterpoint to any assertion that America is a moral society or has any legitimate claim to any noble heritage.

Black history is a continuing story, acting as a launching point and measuring stick for each current generation. The accomplishments and lessons of the ancestors inform the present, and challenge today's generation to produce a legacy worth celebrating in the future.

Clearly, the relevance and importance of commemorating Black history extends beyond any single-month observance. Nevertheless, this month has a unique function of refocusing a very unfocused population upon an experience that must never be forgotten, and must never be allowed to become trivialized.

Honoring one's father and mother, and honoring the God of one's ancestors for this history is of paramount significance in maintaining a balanced real-time perspective. That kind of balance is a primary factor in enjoying any prolonged wellness.