As society becomes increasingly polarized on socio-politico-economic issues, I have to pause, breathe deeply and maybe disengage before allowing myself to react versus  responding thoughtfully, if that’s what I choose. And even more so when I’m triggered and can feel my emotions churn heatedly inside my gut. Or as I hear the words sharpening in my mind ready to lash out into cyberspace, which has become the acceptable norm for “communication”. But I’ve seen and experienced that it accomplishes nothing; neither for me personally nor for the greater good. 

Black history has never been separate from US history. We are integral to it. We’ve lost so much, been denied so much and fought for so much. We’ve survived so much, overcome so much, and achieved so much. So, for a mere 28 days, it behooves us to pause and assess our own personal understanding of Black history, the impact it’s had on the U.S., its institutions, and our beliefs about Black people. The more we ignore accurate history, the more we get buried in its trenches & progress never happens.