Chat-bout.net - Black history month and Jamaicans

Black history month and Jamaicans

February is celebrated in Jamaica, Caribbean and the Americas as Black history month. It is a month dedicated to recognizing the struggles of our ancestors in enslavement for centuries, celebrating the accomplishments of black people and championing the endeavors, aspirations and ventures of today’s black aspirers for greatness.

I find the way Black History Month is celebrated in Jamaica as having shortfalls because there seems to be an overemphasis on the struggles of the black race and slavery. This creates a shadow of gloom despair and Movies about slavery (such as “Roots”) reignites hatred for the white race among the black populace.

I believe the month should be spent commemorating the achievements of Bob Marley, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King and Paul Bogle. There is a deluge of information available on the struggles of blacks for Jamaicans but very few about the accomplishments of blacks except for household names such as Barack Obama. A few may know Ben Carson or TD Jakes.

I believe it is this lack of information about the success of Black men why young black men in Jamaica do not aspire to greatness. There is an overwhelming amount of attention given to the unfavorable deeds of black men and Individuals in Jamaica yet very few available literature and media accounts dedicated to informing youngsters on the accomplishments of the black race outside of emancipation from slavery.

Few Jamaican youths know about a black scientist or a great black educator. Ian Boyne’s weekly programme “Profile” highlight the accomplishment of blacks particularly Jamaicans as a means of enlightening the masses on the accomplishment of black Jamaicans. It is high time; black history month is celebrated instead of regurgitating the past. Marcus Garvey said that a man who does not know his past is like a tree without roots but black people in Jamaica have spent enough time dealing with the past. It is due time, Black History Month is celebrated by paying homage to our heroes and fashioning a programme, system and faculty for the black men in our society: who are lost in today’s world to become better men and women. - socyberty.com

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