Celebrating a national holiday
This week has been a rough week. I was scheduled to speak to Rod Just's fifth grade social studies class at the elementary school. He asked if I would share some information about slavery and African Americans because his class was studying a unit on the colonies.
But because of illness — that old cold and flu bug, that I probably got from my son and husband — I was not able to speak. So we have postponed it for another time in February. (Note: I just returned from the doctor's office and learned that I have a lung infection that is triggering my asthma. I was prescribed plenty of medicine and hope to be back to full strength real soon.)
February is Black History month, so rescheduling my presentation will work out just fine. February is the month that we African Americans celebrate the accomplishments of our people. Not much is written in the history books about African Americans, except for the period of slavery and the civil rights movement.
Though that seems to be changing, there is still room for improvement. So, a black man by the name of Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926 instituted a Black History Day that eventually extended to the whole month of February.
For instance, not many people know that it was a black man who invented the gas mask and the traffic light and received a patent for his inventions — his name was Garret A. Morgan. Or that it was black men who invented the fountain pen, shoe making machine, kerosene lamps, and the water closet, and each of them received a patent for his invention.
February is not only Black History month, it is also Dental Health month, American Heart month, and Boy Scout month, just to name a few.
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I just want to take the time to "tip my hat" to Dale Honeck, Evan Yoder, and Jim Robb, for taking the initiative to plan activities to help celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. It was the first one, and they took a bold step in Hillsboro to do something to expose their students to a different culture as well as educate them on diversity.
Also, they brought to light the principles of what Dr. King stood for and a glimpse of what the civil rights movement was all about. After hearing the comments from students, staff, and members of the community, I think most of the activities were appreciated.
I was glad to be a part of such an endeavor. Students, teachers and others got a chance to see Mr. Honeck in a different light. His passion for exposing others to different cultures, being open to those who are different, and taking the time to learn about them was very evident.
I told Evan Yoder now he has a solid partner who feels just as passionately as he does about those issues. It was good for my husband and me to observe and witness that passion in all three men while we met several times to plan some of those activities.
My hope in being a part of the program is that we were able to reach out and touch someone to make him or her rethink some of the preconceived ideas he or she may have had about others. I know the activities of that day did that for me — because that's the way I am.
