By Karen Murray
I love history, and so when I was approached by the Executive Director to write this article on Black History, I felt deeply honored and compelled to do so. At a young age I was always drawn to books about other individuals: how they lived, where they lived, and what they accomplished. Sadly though, oftentimes those books I sought out did not reflect the extraordinary achievement of those individuals that looked like me. Instead, the books that were available to me were limited in subject matter about my black ancestors and their incredible achievements throughout history from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement; from lifesaving research to incredible scientific interventions that would improve generations’ daily lives and lead to the current technology explosion.
My limited knowledge and access of Black History would run its course throughout my elementary and secondary education until I became a college freshman at Iowa Wesleyan College in the fall of 1969 and was introduced to other students who looked like me but who maintained an aura of confidence and pride. I would soon learn where that special aura emanated from through my developing friendships, my participation in the Black Student Union and its Movement, and my many night—long discussions with them, and as to what they knew already about black history and the very powerful people for which they came, and most importantly, the homage they paid to the person who started it all, Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
Dr. Woodson’s key role in establishing and creating Black History is indisputable. In his position as the dean of the College of Arts and Science at Howard University, a historically black college, as a career educator and his passion for promoting the study of African American history, he would be the founder and creator of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASALH) in 1915. The official mission of the ASALH, which still exists today, is to “promote, research, preserve, interpret and disseminate information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community.” Through this organization, Dr. Woodson initiated Negro History Week on February 7, 1926.
Incredibly, those same Iowa Wesleyan college students that I got to know and who graciously mentored me on our history in 1969 would later become a part of a movement alongside their fellow students and Black educators at Kent State University who first proposed expanding Woodson’s Negro History Week into a month-long celebration. Although it would take another seven years, in 1976 President Gerald Ford would officially recognize Black History Month, when he called upon the country to “seize the opportunity to honor the too often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
So, Dr. Woodson would give me and many other black people the gift of seeing their possibilities and the audacity to dream out loud, because he allowed us to see our peoples’ true accomplishments beyond the slavery and meritless based narrative. And thus, once I realized that which was not fully exposed to me, I forgave myself for what I didn’t know or see reflected as a possibility when a local newspaper article that profiled me after winning a statewide oratory competition where I had written and memorized an original interpretation of Rev. Dr. Martin King, Jr’s speech, “I Have a Dream.” The reporter asked me what goals or plans did I have once I graduated in a couple of months. I remember stating I wanted to be like the fictional TV attorney in Perry Mason (1957–1966). Since then, I have questioned why I mentioned this fictionalized attorney and not Thurgood Marshall since he was a real live human being, an exceptional civil rights attorney, an extraordinary orator, and in fact, it was he who won the landmark Brown v. the Board of Education in 1954, outlawing segregated schools and paving the way for the integration of all public facilities and businesses. And then on October 2, 1967 becoming the first Black jurist on the U.S. Supreme Court.
So, the simple answer to the above question is what I have alluded to throughout this article, my history—which is Black History—was not made available in its full and rich content. Instead, only snippets that could not and would not fulfill what Dr. Woodson believed and toiled for because he knew it would be a game changer. He knew this because of what his many years of research revealed; that once you know who you are beyond how the oppressor defines you, you can begin to see and realize all your possibilities and furthermore, it ensures that what you have learned will find its way to others. I discovered this by seeing my history play out by encountering the first amongst many by personal or professional encounters, documentaries, books, and mini-series. But, no matter how I experienced learning about Black History it made me more confident to pursue the goals I’ve established for myself, to take more risks, and not allow anyone to make me feel invisible, because of its rich tapestry.
Black History is indeed a rich tapestry of struggle, resilience, and triumph. It is a true testament to the enduring soulfulness and spirit of its people who have continuously fought for their rightful place in history, but which was fraught by endless delay by insidious racism. Woodson said it best when he wrote, “Racism is merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome of thorough instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind.” So, by acknowledging and celebrating Black History, we not only honor the past but also inspire future generations to not only learn about their own individual history but also embrace the rich history of others.
In conclusion, it is my strong belief that understanding our history can indeed be transformative. History opens the door to extraordinary events, people, and inventions that invariably shape our lives for better or worse. However, these historical lessons also offer us the opportunity to learn and to build upon by becoming change agents. By doing so, we can continue to progress towards making the world and our communities more just and equitable, thereby enabling everyone to pursue their individual possibilities.
Karen Murray is a long-time member of KCBA and has served on the KCBA Board of Trustees, MLK and Public Policy Committees. Karen is motivated by the legacy of her mother, a single parent of eight who raised her by example that regardless of how little you have, you can always give something whether it’s by volunteering your time or monetarily.
