Pastor Ross is a Guest Editorialist
with the Daily Herald Newspaper, Naperville, IL.
These articles are reprints from her
column entitled "Guest View".

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Lesson plan for Black History Month - and every month
Posted Sunday, February 06, 2005 in the Daily herald Newspaper,
written by the Rev. Barbara A. Ross

As I sat thinking about what I would write for Black History Month, I couldn't help but reflect back to my own personal experiences as an African-American. February may be the shortest month of the year, but its days are packed with love and many things to do to celebrate Black History Month. Black History Month is not meant to be celebrated by blacks only, but by all people.

In February, more than any other month, there are many important anniversaries and remembrances, particularly for African-Americans. My heartfelt appreciation goes to the many freedom advocates from the past who focused on religion and civil rights to make the world a better place.

First and foremost, Black History Month should be about education. Our schools, colleges and churches should take every opportunity to educate all people in the meaning of Black History Month. Education is the key to unlocking the past, present and future, beginning here in Naperville and then spreading throughout the entire nation.

Naperville Mayor George Pradel mentioned in his Jan. 24 State of the City address that the theme for the city of Naperville's 175th anniversary is "Heritage, Unity and Vision". What a great theme. If every community adopted this same theme, Naperville would not be the only good place to live. The whole world would be a good place to live. To accomplish the vision in this theme, we must shout from the mountaintop that education is the key. We all hold that key.

As an African-American I have experienced prejudice not only from whites but from other races, including my own. Not only have I experienced prejudice from adults, but from a child about four or five years of age, from teenagers, from seniors. I find it a tragedy that many African-American children grow up today convinced of their own inferiority.

In his 1933 classic work, "The Miseducation of the Negro", Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who is the founder of Black History Month, showed the fundamental problems concerning the education of African-Americans. He noted how blacks have been educated away from their own culture and traditions and how, as African-Americans, we have attached ourselves to European culture, often to the detriment of our own heritage.

I am taking it a step further. I say not only have African-Americans been mis-educated, but there has been a breakdown in educating all people of all ages.

I can remember when I was younger, I wished I was "white" because it seemed to me that white people had it better in everything; whatever - you name it. But thank God I have been educated in my rich heritage, and now I celebrate my uniqueness.

All people must be taught to love themselves, love their culture, love their ethnic background, and love their heritage. When everyone is educated - not just African-Americans, but all people - then and only then will we begin to grow and blossom together into one big field of beautiful flowers, with a mixture of colors, shapes and sizes.

When we teach ourselves and others, we give those who are coming behind us a chance to shape their today, not their tomorrow, because tomorrow begins with today. Without the key of learning, they will be denied entrance into their past, present and future.

Let each one of us pass the key to those who will follow us. With this key so many doors will be opened, not just to all of us living today, but to our children's children's children.

Let's begin educating all people to celebrate their differences, and let us stress the creativity in each other's uniqueness and be thankful to God that we all have something to contribute.

So, parents, preachers, teachers and all who will listen, let's be educators not just during Black History Month, but every day of the year.

Pastor Ross can be reached at pastorross@philiprcousinamec.org