Today in Black History

Black History Facts for Today by Yenoba.com June 29

James Van Der Zee, photographer, famous for his works in the “Harlem Renaissance,” was born in Lennox, MA, on this date in 1886.

Carter Godwin Woodson, the “Father of Black History,” was awarded the 12th Spingarn Medal on this date in 1926 for his devoted efforts in collecting and publishing the records of the Negro in America.

More Black History Facts for Today go to:WWW.YENOBA.COMYour Source for Black History

A Black Man’s Journey

Being raised on the west side of Chicago (K-Town) was a beautiful thing. During the 60’s & 70’s my neighborhood was filled with positive  nurturing images of Black people. Most of these people were part of the “great migration” from the south. There were men & women that looked out for each others well-being,  supported each other’s businesses, looked out for each others children & provided the foundation that we needed to grow into productive citizens of the world. They organized activities &, events designed to foster pride, strength & determination. I have to acknowledge how important these people were & still are in preparing me to survive my life journey. Just like everyone else, I have experienced some falls in my life. But, the values they instilled in me would not & will not allow me to stay down. They gave me the strength & faith to know that regardless of what or who I encounter, I will be ok.

As this is my initial attempt at blogging, it is important that you know there will be more. I will attempt to address current issues as they relate to historical causes & effects. Our community appears to be struggling with some issues that we really, really need to address. A lot of them are not new & are directly related to the past, nor are they easy to deal with. I am certain that this endeavor will at times be a painful one, but well worth the effort.  I believe that together we can begin to eliminate some of  these issues by addressing them from a historical point of view.

To be continued.