Celebrating Legacies
Posted by [email protected] on Feb. 25, 2022 / Subscribe 0
In 1976, President Gerald Ford designated February as Black History Month, urging all Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Today, countries all over the world also dedicate a month to celebrating Black History Month.
As February winds down and Black History Month comes to an end, I reflect on why “Black History Month” means so much to me. Black History Month is a time that energizes and fuels my motivation to persevere, despite trials and tribulations. It’s also a time to reflect on the importance of the sacrifices that were made for me to have the opportunities I have now.
For me, Black History Month is a time to recognize the invaluable contributions and immeasurable sacrifices of Black people throughout history. I’m very proud of my history and heritage and I’m always excited to see Black Excellence prominently showcased throughout the month of February. I feel that Black History Month is not only meant to showcase Black Excellence; moreover, it’s to celebrate it. Showcasing Black Excellence is simply bringing awareness to it, but a celebration goes beyond just acknowledging the extraordinary achievements of Black people throughout history - it publicly honors these men and women. It tells their inspiring stories in a way to help us understand how they have impacted our lives - how our lives would not be the same if these people did not persevere through innate struggle to accomplish remarkable things.
Let’s start with Sadie Alexander, to say that Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander shattered multiple glass ceilings is an understatement. The Philadelphia native was the first Black person in the nation to earn a Ph.D. in economics in 1921. Three years later, she earned a law degree and went on to become the first Black woman to pass the Pennsylvania bar and practice law in the state. Alexander accomplished all this while often facing bitter acts of racial prejudice. As a first-year undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, she was told she couldn’t check books out of the school library. A dean at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law lobbied against her being selected to join the university’s law review. She persevered and made law review anyway. By the time of her death at 91, Alexander had been awarded seven honorary degrees and had taken her rightful place as a revered champion of equal rights for all.
With the recent devastating spread of Covid and the life-saving vaccines that have started to turn the tide, some appreciation should be given to the man who brought this game-changing practice to the United States. The practice of vaccinations was brought to America by Onesimus - a slave. In 1721, a smallpox epidemic struck the city of Boston. This highly contagious virus was killing hundreds during a time of lesser medical advancements, and it was an enslaved man by the name of Onesimus that changed everything. Onesimus was purchased in 1706 for Cotton Mather, a Puritan minister. Amid the spreading sickness, Onesimus confided to Mather about the practice of inoculations, which had been used in Africa for centuries. Mather brought this vital information to Dr. Zabdiel Boylston, who, despite a major pushback against the idea, managed to successfully inoculate 240 people.
Learning about the struggles and triumphs of those who have gone before me sustains me as I continually work toward my goals and dreams. I salute the contributions and selfless service of these remarkable humans – I consider it a privilege to celebrate these legacies, in February and beyond.
Author:
Dee Covington
President SMPS Tampa Bay
0 Comments