Black History Month 101 2011

Black history does not start in America and neither should Black History Month. Teaching Black history should start were all history starts at the beginning. For the 2 Billion + Blacks worldwide, recorded history starts in Classical African Civilization, Nubia/Kemet (Ancient Egypt). - Video

As Americans we all took Western Civilization for years. We learned about Classical European Civilization, Greece/Rome. America is a country were European Americans are the majority population and this is as one would expect it to be. What most Americans did not learn about was Classical African Civilization (CAC). To this day most Americans in general, and sorry to say, many African Americans in particular do not even know basic African American history, let alone that CAC exists.

Dr. Ben Carson great American neurosurgeon and the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Americans have some cultural literacy regarding Classical Indian Civilization, (Ancient India) through their cultural technology like Yoga and traditional Indian medicine. The same is true regarding Classical Asian Civilization, China, Japan etc. through their cultural technology like their Martial arts and the bio-energetics disciplines of Tai Qi and Qi Gong and traditional Chinese medicine. on the other hand, few are literate regarding African Cultural technology, as in it's cosmology, Martial Arts, or Traditional African medicine, although its use and the African symbols are all around us here in America.

But then that is the challenge of Black history month. Another opportunity to "Get Smarter Here" by pumping up ones Cultural Literacy.

Lets Go to the Video Tape



The video talks about a movie you should see to raise your Cultural Literacy about Classical African Civilization, Kemet. In addition,  you may have noted that the famous AA surgeon Doctor Ben Carson recited many of the Great African American inventors from memory. This is a significant cultural literacy feat. The patent office document images in the video were added later. I have not committed these facts to memory, but I have a book Black Inventors that contains these individuals, their stories and patents that I have shared with my children and some of my grand children.

In College I remember taking Philosophy 101 and learning about Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. I remember asking who were the Black philosophers, The response from my world class "educated" professor was, there aren't any. So you can imagine my shock in learning about the great Black philosophers, Ti Huti, Imhotep and Hypatia doughter of Theon from my a Culturally Literate friend.

It is O.K. that I was surprised, but lets not allow another generation of young people to be surprised by their legacy give it to them at home so that they have it with them when they go out in the world.  It is the best defense against Cultural Poisoning. And the best offence for smart choices.

In this African year of 12,011 AST it is important that I point out, that what started in America as Black History month (BHM) is increasingly called Black Heritage month. Many of our elders point out that February should not just be an American history lesson about Blacks in the United States. It should be another Cultural Literacy opportunity, where Black people worldwide connect, and/or reconnect with our legacy from the shiny ones (ancestors) embedded in our common heritage.

If you are of African decent in America or a Black person anywhere in the world, what do you know about the Black Philosophers and their cosmologics and what should you know? What is the state of your children's Cultural Literacy and what is your plan regarding their Cultural Health.

AA or not, I hope you found this introduction to some of the elements of Black History Month (BHM) helpful. Try the twitter tag #BMH to see what is being talked about today regarding this growing cultural health event.