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WHAT WOULD FREDERICK DOUGLAS THINK about Black History Month?

February is primarily known for four things. If you reside in the Midwest, Great Lakes region, or the Northeast, February unveils a winter wonderland. Okay, I know some might think I am being overly optimistic in regards to the cold winter season. But some of us actually enjoy the snowy mantle of white, as long as we do not have to drive in it.

February is also the month that love between men and women is rekindled on Valentine’s Day. Also thanks, but no thanks to progressive efforts to remove focused attention away from two of our greatest presidents has occurred. The traditional celebrations of both George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays have been replaced by a purposely generic President’s Day. The predominant recognition or activity of any note on Presidents Day are furniture, carpet and clothing sales.

In addition, February is recognized as Black History month. In my opinion, it is not securing the results the founders of a month dedicated to Black history had envisioned. I guess it’s biggest impact has been to encourage copycat special interest groups like homosexuals to dominate the month of June, for example. Ironically, the homosexuals plotted themselves within the month of June, which for a very long time was known as the month of weddings between men and women.

Personally I have always loved history. So, as a younger person when my interest in history was blossoming it was readily apparent that I developed a keen interest in how black Americans played a role in American history. I needed to know more than the tired tales of the woeful tragedy of slavery. However it was sometimes a little difficult finding the positive stories about Black American history that prior generations commonly learned about in school. I must credit my Dad for filling me in on numerous fantastic stories about numerous great American icons of history who just happened to be black and made positive impacts upon society. Whether through inventions, innovations, heroic battles in war, great inroads into the business world and even politics.

One of my favorite chapters of American history instructs us on the life and times of Frederick Douglas. He was born a slave in the year 1818. Seventy seven years later, he died of a massive heart attack at his home. During the decades between, Frederick Douglas lived as a sterling example of one who would not settle for the vision or even living standards others felt they had the right to impose upon him. Douglas’s voracious thirst for knowledge led him on an adventurous path that eventually exposed him to the authentic focuses of both Christianity and the United States Constitution.

It solidified his natural God given determination to live, be free and successful in this life. Frederick Douglas did not allow the racism of his era to be an excuse or a reason to live a bitter life of misery and lack. He believed he was great, not in a haughty sense, but in the recognition that he was created a human being meant for greatness, like everybody else. Thus his belief in God and himself helped propel him to become arguably the greatest orator of the nineteenth century.

Douglas wrote several books, astounded audiences throughout America and Europe with his passionate quest for freedom for those who remained attached to iron clad chains of slavery. Even the great American emancipator himself, Abraham Lincoln called Frederick Douglas his friend.

Unlike the bitter community activists and progressive politicians of today, Douglas was intelligent enough to realize that despite the pains of slavery, America was still a great nation that needed to live up to her lofty visions and words. He also considered the United States Constitution a close second behind the Bible in importance and positive influence upon “We the People.” Despite the marvelous historic value of the story of Frederick Douglas, I am a bit disappointed on two fronts.

The first being that his story of overcoming enormous odds has been purposely withheld from exposure to generations of worthy students. For surely the awareness of Mr. Douglas and others like him would certainly inspire many to make a better go of the gift of life granted them by our loving Creator.

Secondly, I find it rather irritating that great American historical figures like Frederick Douglas have not been simply rolled into the historic fabric of our republic. Thus eliminating the so-called need for Black History month. But come think of it, American history in general is either poorly taught or skillfully indoctrinated against. Wow! What a predicament.

Image: https://yuriboele.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/realism-or-simple-vector/

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Ron Edwards

Ron Edwards is host of the award winning radio commentary The Edwards Notebook is syndicated throughout America. He is a renowned journalist and a highly sought after speaker with numerous organizations. Whether it is exceptional radio commentaries or columns Ron always "Blows away the Myths and reveals the Truth"