Black History: Sojourner Truth

 

A Biography of Sojourner Truth 
by Cheryl Williams

It was the dawn of a new day. On the cusp of the 19th century, and a young America rose starry-eyed with religious fervor and abolitionism during the Second Great Awakening – and so forth did an unlikely heroine rise to the occasion as well. Isabella Baumfree reinvented herself, Sojourner Truth – the willful, passionate, charismatic, Bible toting ex-slave with a self-proclaimed calling. An ordained mission that came with every good intention to “make the nation rock like a cradle” if mired against her life’s pursuit; pioneering subjugated blacks and women alike out of the antebellum dark ages of slavery and women’s suffrage, into spiritual enlightenment and sovereignty. 

Black History Month: A Closer Look

In America, November is Native American Heritage Month. Likewise, February is Black History Month... African-Americans enjoy a whole 29 days of fame and seemingly obligatory adoration. Admittedly, when it comes to "history months" I am on the fence. In my opinion, they are well intended but fall short of glory. In reality, the very premise behind "history months" is to highlight the significant actions of a particular minority as opposed to the majority in an effort to signify and facilitate cultural equality. This cultural conundrum is explained by one of my favorite entertainment bloggers, Lincoln Blades of This Is Your Conscience. In a recent post, If You are Celebrating Black History Month You Really DON'T Care About Black History At All he holds no punches stating "...I would rather see our contribution to history be fully IGNORED than recognized as ONLY being worthy of one month of trivial recognition." A notion typified by your memory a la "Everybody Hates Chris" English teacher beginning a black history lesson with, "Kids, did you know a BLACK man invented peanut-butter!" Now, I do not agree the celebration of Black History Month in and of itself to be disingenuous (unless of course that's the ONLY time one gives a hoot about black history); but do agree with Blades overall take on the matter:

DISCUSSION:  If ANYONE quote/unquote "deserves" their due diligence in the form of equal representation within the United States it is the actual Native American/American Indian. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? 

Hypothetically, let's say educational bias has been eradicated and diversity is equally represented and discussed in American History. Therefore, since everything is square... would it then be fair for Caucasians to have a dedicated "history month" in honor of their respective contributions to society? Or should all "history months" be essentially done away with since the premise for their existence is inherently resolved? 

Personally, I am proud of the fact our nation dedicated time to reflect, educate, and honor the plight and contributions of minorities. Yet, on the contrary disappointed that these very achievements are generally concentrated within their respective history months. Typically, an individual is cherished and recognized by their family members and friends year round but honored (per say) on their birthday, right? Well , in this same sense "history months" are like birthdays sort-of-speak. Likewise, [in Lincoln's words] it would be disingenuous if peeps neglected to show you any love or recognition until your birthday rolled around! Oddly enough, that's often a general complaint among people [lol]... but I digress. 

The public school system is the single most important catalyst for leveling the playing field among peoples of any society. An unbiased education helps diverse citizens better understand one another, facilitates racial tolerance and awareness. The United States isn't dubbed the "Melting Pot" because we have the secret to Bush's Baked Beans. As the nickname suggests, African American, Native American, Asian, Hispanic, Indian and Arab (yeah, I said it) Americans' plight and achievements are all an integral part to the fabric of our nation. These historical accounts are equally as important as those whose ancestors fled Europe (and should be honored as such). Yet, as it were such information was once a blip on the radar against a whitewash of European history & British colonialism ad nauseum. 

Unfortunately, this bias led to a polarized viewpoint of American history [as a whole] and in some cases, blatant unethical writing practices in our nation's history books. Recently, textbooks littered with inaccuracies were discovered in use within the classroom. "Our Virginia: Past and Present", is a fourth grade social studies book published by Five Ponds Press. In October 2011 the book was found to contain as many as 12 historical errors, including the description of non-existent battalions of Black confederate soldiers. Shockingly, after these findings the book was allowed back into the classroom. Instructors were encouraged "to used the [book's] errors to demonstrate to students that they should be skeptical of what they read (Grace Chen, History Gone Awry: Mistakes in Virginia's Public School Textbooks)." 

"For many education researchers, cultural bias in teaching is evidenced within various academic texts and modules across multiple academic domains (Baker, 2005, Loewen, 2007). Particularly in the United States, several researchers agree that most contributions to academic subject matter (i.e., history and social and natural sciences) are made by members of the majority race or culture (American Psychological Association, 2003; Gay, 2000; Rogoff, 2003) and much of the text throughout this subject matter is used to reinforce the superiority of this group (Loewen, 2007). Loewen (2007), for example, offers that most elementary and secondary U.S. history textbooks offer a romanticized view of the Europeans' experience in the United States whereas most of the experiences of Native Americans and/or Africans in these same lands are either misrepresented or underrepresented (Education.com)." 

Bottom line. Everyone has the right to a balanced and unequivocal education. Bias involves bureaucracy and sheer negligence but boils down to prejudice and the reinforcement of "white privilege" within our society; an issue "history months" (though well-intentioned) alone do not resolve. In light of Black History month, I urge African Americans/Blacks to be pro-active and resist complacence by minding the integrity of our history; ensuring it is neither misinterpreted or conveniently omitted. As a general rule, this goes for both minorities and whites. To the best of our ability, the history of mankind should be unadulterated as this knowledge is critical to human consciousness and evolution. Only then will "history months" live up to the expectation... because at the end of the day there's no honor without integrity. Throughout recent years the U.S. Department of Education has made initiatives to monitor the integrity of public schools, colleges, and universities -- including anti-bias curriculum (A.B.C), researching and correcting inaccuracies in curriculum, culturally responsive classroom instruction, and fair representation of minorities in textbooks.

NEW YEARS in BLACK HISTORY

"WATCH NIGHT SERVICE"

Many of you who live or grew up in Black communities in the United States have probably heard of "Watch Night Services," the gathering of the faithful in church on New Year's Eve.

The service usually begins anywhere from 7 p.m. To 10 p.m. And ends at midnight with the entrance of the New Year.

Some folks come to church first, before going out to celebrate. For others, church is the only New Year's Eve event.

Like many others, I always assumed that Watch Night was a fairly standard Christian religious service -- made a bit more Afro centric because that's what happens when elements of Christianity become linked with the Black Church.

Still, it seemed that predominately White Christian churches did not include Watch Night services on their calendars, but focused instead on Christmas Eve programs.

In fact, there were instances where clergy in mainline denominations wondered aloud about the propriety of linking religious services with a secular holiday like New Year's Eve.

However, there is a reason for the importance of New Year's Eve services in African American congregations.

The Watch Night Services in Black communities that we celebrate today can be traced back to gatherings on December 31, 1862, also known as "Freedom's Eve."

On that night, Blacks came together in churches and private homes all across the nation, anxiously awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation actually had become law.

Then, at the stroke of midnight, it was January 1, 1863, and all slaves in the Confederate States were declared legally free.

When the news was received, there were prayers, shouts and songs of joy as people fell to their knees and thanked God.

Black folks have gathered in churches annually on New Year's Eve ever since, praising God for bringing us safely through another year.

It's been 145 years since that first Freedom's Eve and many of us were never taught the African American history of Watch Night, but tradition still brings us together at this time every year to celebrate "how we got over."

PS.  Pass this information on so we can educate more of our Family and Friends about our History!

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