Black History Month Matters

Shannon: [: 00:00:00

Lisa: And I'm Lisa,

Shannon: and you're listening to Blackivities,

Lisa: A celebration of all things black,

Shannon: black culture, black history,

Lisa: black perspectives, and black panache.

Shannon: Celebrating our blackness doesn't mean exclusion.

Lisa: Everybody's invited, but you gotta come in and have a seat. So let the blacktivities begin.

Shannon: We are back.

Lisa: Woo. Yes, that was a long little break. ,

Shannon: I'm Shannon here with my lovely co-host, miss Mona, Lisa. Hey, how do you do, Lisa? I'm hype about season two. If you are joining us for the first time, we're so glad that you're listening.

Lisa: So this is what we're gonna need you to do. Go ahead and hit that follow button in your podcast app so you can get automatic downloads for the whole season.

We're gonna learn and we are [: 00:01:00

Shannon: Yes ma'am. So, Lisa, February's a very special month for us, mostly cuz it's my birthday month. Okay. But you know, it's also, you know, black history month or whatever. Mm. Um, they gave us the shortest month of the year of course, but, The question is, do we still need a Black History month?

I mean, shouldn't we just celebrate it every month?

Lisa: Uh, this is true. This is true, but uh, it's gonna be on all of us to do so.

Well, I think before we address that argument, we need a little bit of history. It's time for SAC's Facts.

Carter g Woodson, founder of [: 00:02:00

That week was chosen because of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass's birthdays being that week. That week became a month in the late 1960s, and Kent State University was one of the first colleges to hold celebrations. It wasn't until 1976 that the month was officially recognized by President Gerald Ford when he told Americans to quote, seize the opportunity to honor the two often neglected accomplishments of black Americans.

appened at the bicentennial, [: 00:03:00

Because it tied in with African Jubilee year when it was first celebrated there in 1987 and the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation. The UK's black history is different from ours and more tied to African Caribbean roots, and so that's why they do the October.

Lisa: I did not know that.

Yep. Wow. Wow.

s Black health and Wellness, [: 00:04:00

So power to the. Fist in the air. And that's SAC's Facts

Lisa: Oh my goodness. I did not know that. The things, I'm gonna have to look that. I'm gonna read up on that some more. I so did not know that Y I did not know that, that they had things. I thought it was this little you black boom. So that's it. That's all you get.

28 days. Get out my face. But y'all, I did not know that. So let's talk about this black history. Okay. What is Black History Month about for you?

we don't get celebrated that [: 00:05:00

Lisa: Mm-hmm.

Shannon: and the things that, the painful things that happened in our history. . Okay.

Lisa: Well I have to agree with you totally on that. Um, growing up in the different school systems that I went through, I have to say that yes. Um, they did make a big whoopty do about Black History Month and they had us to pick our, you know, black person that we were gonna do a project on.

know, things going on. I do [: 00:06:00

I don't know if I, I shared this before, but, uh, in the field that I work, a financial field that I work at, it's a large. Bank that I do work at that everyone knows . And I decided that we, February was rolling around, this had to been maybe the second year I was working there and I had this big old office and I'm like, look, I'm finna represent for my people.

You know, I done came up and I decided to do a silhouette of, of, um, one of the first black female. I don't even remember like what her name was. That's, that's sad. It's just, I was just so into like, I'm gonna put this up there and, um, they're the judge in Dalton. I ain't gonna say his name. Can I say his name?

get you outta here that long[: 00:07:00

So I still got it. You know, I, I, I took it down when, you know, February was up, but, um, she, the lady, I, I, maybe I, I should have maybe had my research, you know, the way I can give it to you, but she played a significant role when it comes to African Americans working in the banking field. and she was like the first president of, you know, a bank.

So I was just so proud, like, yo, this gonna be me. One day I had cut out her silhouette, girl. I had like construction paper. I made like a little fro and , you know what I'm saying? Like people, you know, I would have customers come in, they was like, oh, who is that? And I would tell them and they would, you know, seem like they really appreciate that information.

positivity, but I feel like [: 00:08:00

You know, like, I mean, if it is, it's us. Putting that out there on us being s slaves and you know, things that happen to us. But when we make someone uncomfortable, then they like Uhuh, we're gonna have to bag up. Right? So hence they give us the short month . They don't wanna feel uncomfortable for too long.

So boom. There you have it. .

Shannon: Oh man. Yeah, I'm thinking of like in school, black History Month still was not. . I mean, it's acknowledged that it's it's Black History Month. Mm-hmm. But that's about it. You probably learn about, you know, M L K. Mm-hmm. , maybe Jackie Robinson. Yeah. Maybe Rosa Parks. Yeah, of course.

, well. But that was limited [: 00:09:00

Shannon: That's, that's probably about it. . Um, actually my school , they have a little, um, like a little show that the kids do and they were going around asking other kids like what they knew about Martin Luther King.

Mm-hmm.

Lisa: Ooh, what'd they say

Shannon: They didn't know very much about.

Lisa: Bless it.

Shannon: They knew he was an activist and he did a lot, but that, that's about it. That's it. He did a lot. And that's it.

I

Lisa: feel like that's how they teach now. Cause when I, I, I asked my children, you know about it, it was like, yeah, he was a leader in the civil rights movement and he did a lot for the African American people.

And then that's the generic answer that's taught.

Shannon: And that was pretty much, yeah. What all the kids said. Yeah. Okay.

Lisa: Okay. Well, With this Black History month and how it came about, do you think it's still necessary for us to have?

Shannon: I [: 00:10:00

Mm-hmm. and I think. until it is acknowledged, we still need to have that month just to celebrate us. Right. Because we don't, I mean, they try to sugarcoat mm-hmm. everything that happened in our history. Mm-hmm. , but that's not the reality. Now, uh,

Lisa: I shared it with you, um, the interview 60 minutes years ago that Morgan Freeman did, and they asked him the same thing and he was like, uh, no.

t like, at first I was like, [: 00:11:00

And I was, you know, the same, felt the same way. Yeah, we just incorporate the things that we went through in normal history. Like we would do, like we teach our children every day. Then we wouldn't have to worry about being focused on a month, you know, and having people feel a certain type of way during this month and make feel uncomfortable if it's known, if, you know, we talk about this every day, but I don't know.

You had me, you had me feeling like, uh, no, we need our time to shine. So, so why is that?

t they might make mention of [: 00:12:00

Lisa: Okay. Yeah, I understand that too. I don't mean to flip flop, but Yeah, I understand that too. Um, if we're going to talk about our history, y'all gotta talk about the whole thing, right?

Y'all can't talk about good and bad, right? You just can't talk about like what you're comfortable with. You gotta talk about the whip on the back. And all of that.

Shannon: They try to make it like the Civil War was about state's rights.

Lisa: Girl.

Don't say it like that, but they did. .

Shannon: No, they really do.

Lisa: They did.

They did.

t to draw my, draw attention [: 00:13:00

Shannon: But see, I didn't learn about any of that stuff until I was grown.

Lisa: Me too. We don't, can I say this? Even, we don't know.

Can I say this word? You y'all stop going in that Lake

stop.

Shannon: We down the street, .

Lisa: I know, but y'all stop.

Y'all stop going over there. Lemme tell you something. Let's say you are driving the car, right? You driving this car that's given to you, right? , and then all of a sudden you see that there are maybe 10 other people that's driving the same car that's given to you.

ntinue to drive yours? Yeah, [: 00:14:00

I don't even wanna go over there. Look at that water.

Shannon: I'm good on Lake Lanier. For those of you that don't know, lake Lanier was built on top of a black city. Mm-hmm. called Oscarville. Yes. They just made the lake on top of all the stuff. They didn't even like get rid of like bulldoze any of this stuff.

and killed, raped and killed.[: 00:15:00

They caught the three people that supposedly had did it. And I'm saying supposedly because I'm not exactly sure if they did it or not, because there has been history to where there were a lot of African American men that were captured and um, killed. Even though they didn't do nothing. They just did it because, hey, we can do it.

ink it's like a population of: 1100

We're talking about people that owned acres of land there. Yeah. And they just took the land and said, you know what? We gonna build the damn right here. Right. You could potentially own some land around here.

Shannon: I could, yeah.

Lisa: Wait, you ain't gonna get it.

Shannon: [: 00:16:00

Lisa: No you're never gonna get it.

my bad...

Um,

yeah. Oh. So, um, so what do you think would need to happen. for us to not need a Black History month anymore.

Shannon: Well, like we were talking about before, like if America, I'll just say acknowledges that our history is American history. Mm-hmm. and when they make the textbooks and when they teach the kids, if they tell the history like it is mm-hmm.

and include. All of our contributions then I don't think we need a Black History month, but I don't see that happening. Imagine

u know, basic stuff for what [: 00:17:00

well, why did y'all, or why did they hang him or why didn't they? Like I can see where , that teacher will be uncomfortable, and I feel like that's needed.

Shannon: I, I'm, I'm a big proponent of having uncomfortable conversations. Okay. Because I feel like. . That's the only way to grow.

Lisa: Exactly.

Shannon: Is to acknowledge that those things happened.

a chip on our shoulder. Mm. [: 00:18:00

Lisa: I can relate.

I can relate .

Shannon: I think that people would understand if they understood our plight mm-hmm. , they would understand us. Right. They would understand why we go so hard

Lisa: or why we act the w react the way we do to certain situations.

Shannon: Yes. And why we want to celebrate us. Right, right, right, right. Because nobody else celebrates us.

and it's been historically like the opposite. The complete opposite.

Lisa: Right, right. Hey, you know what? I read something when I was doing just a little research, but is it true that Frederick Douglass daddy was white?

Shannon: I've never heard that.

Lisa: Yeah, I was doing some research. Because my daughter, she was, um, she was uh, doing some something, but I was doing some research and I read that and I was like, wait, what?

ite. Hmm. Said his mom was a [: 00:19:00

That's her senior year. Shout out to Mimi. Uh, but she's, you know, fair skin. But girl, she got that, that full c hair and it happens, you know what I mean? But I'm gonna continue to do some research and I want y'all, that's y'all homework. y'all. Let's find out Frederick Douglass daddy, who his daddy is.

Seriously. But yeah, I, I, I read that and I was just like, hm. Interesting. But I wouldn't be surprised though. Think about it. I would not be surprised.

Shannon: We didn't finish talking about, um, what your boy said who Morgan Freeman

about. Um, not needing, not needing Black history Month.

I think, I mean, I, I [: 00:20:00

Lisa: and we kind of touched on it though, like, I, I agree.

I agree that if it was, you know, if we talk about it every day, then if it's incorporated in, uh, in, in regular history, like all the other stuff, then what's the whole point of having just a month?

I mean, but

Shannon: then that's also the argument that. people that wanna erase our history use mm-hmm. , because they say, well, you know, y'all are making a big deal out of it.

Y'all are making race issue. Y'all are causing the division because y'all keep talking about it. Hmm.

nd that feeling right there, [: 00:21:00

I know I'm getting off topic, but you guys started this.

Shannon: Where did, where did that come from though?

Lisa: Which, what, what, what are you referring to?

Shannon: When we got, got whoopings and stuff like, I mean, like that we got beat, like that.

Lisa: We got beat because I mean,

Shannon: where did that come from? Came from, think about it,

Lisa: massa and, and, and, and, and, and us just being overpowered.

Like, it, it is just, it's hard. What else are you looking for? I'm saying I think,

Shannon: I mean that Yeah. It was passed down.

Lisa: Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. . Yeah.

Shannon: Like that's some post-traumatic slave syndrome stuff and Ooh.

Lisa: And you know what, that's why I don't, I don't like the, I don't like to put my hand on my children.

es to black parenting, but I [: 00:22:00

First .

Shannon: Sometimes it's necessary ,

Lisa: but I like, I don't even remember the last time I, I really like went ham on my kids like that. Now my oldest begged to differ . I young, so, but I don't, I, I ref, I don't, I don't know. It's like I don't believe in just beating on them like that because, Again, that's passed down behavior and I don't want them to feel like that.

Shannon: All right. We getting off topic?

Lisa: Okay, sorry, . Sorry.

Shannon: Let's go ahead and do our blacktivity.

Lisa: All right,

ere. I am going to give you. [: 00:23:00

Shannon: Mm-hmm. All right. Okay. Me and time don't do well cuz I'm slow. ,

Lisa: are you ready? You, I You want me to ho You want me to just ask you the questions?

Shannon: Go ahead. Go ahead.

Lisa: Okay. I'll just ask you the question. All right. True or false? Black History Month started out originally negro History Week.

Shannon: That's true. That was in SAC's. Facts.

Lisa: Name three civil Rights leaders right now.

Shannon: MLK, um, Malcolm X. Um, come on, Marcus Garvey.

Lisa: Boom. All right. First Black Supreme Court Justice.

Very good.

Shannon: Marshall.

Lisa: Woo. Look at you. This first lady, middle name is Levon.

Shannon: La Vaughn.

Lisa: Mm-hmm. . Come on B. You got this. Ooh,

Yay. Uhoh . I mean, I only, [: 00:24:00

Right, right.

Lisa: come on. This one should be a no-brainer area in Forsyth County where it's believed land was stolen from black people to build a dam.

Shannon: The name of the county? Oscarville?

Lisa: No, just the little area. Like the Little Lake.

Shannon: Oh, lake Lanier.

heir stare dance scene in the: 1935

Shannon: I'm gonna say True.

Lisa: Mm-hmm. .

That's true. You got 'em all right. Okay. Yeah, they told her because of Jim Crow laws and all that, that they told, um, I think his name was Billy Bojangles, something that he was not allowed to touch her. And Shirley Temple was like, no, this is my uncle Billy. And we, we do all these scenes together.

im, and she grabbed his hand [: 00:25:00

Shannon: shout out to the allies. Yeah.

Lisa: Yep. Go ahead, Shirley Temple. All right.

Shannon: Okay. I'm, I'm actually surprised that I did okay with that. Yeah, girl. You did, you know, you know it. I'm a slow thinker. . Okay. Um, it's time for Lisa's pieces.

Lisa: All right. Y'all ready?

illuminates in the sun, but [: 00:26:00

Dreaming of the truth, not make believe disrespectfully, tinker belling our ancestry. It's deeper than that our responsibility to pass down our knowledge, our leadership, moving our influence, deepening our facts where you treat our history. Please treat it like it's yours too. Thank.

All right, so next week we will be covering the infamous question are you black enough? Shannon, are you black enough?

Shannon: I, I don't know. Okay. Some people might say I'm not .

Well, thank you for [: 00:27:00

Uh, there are three things that you can do to be involved with what we got going on, on blacktivities.

The first thing is, if you like what you heard, share it.

-: 1749

Shannon: and if you're on IG you can follow us.

We are @blacktivitiespod.

keep doing big thingss Lego.[: 00:28:00