{Day 29} BHM Appreciation Thread..The Finale pt. 2?

Today, the finale part 2 since we got 29 days this year..Yesterday was a salute to the women, today, we honor the men…I cant remember ever single person who has made a contribution, so bare wit me..

Carter G. Woodson..only fair he gets recognized first, Woodson an African American historian & writer, established “***** History Week”, which would lead to the birth of Black History Month. Had it not been for his persistence, who knows if we would have this month set aside to celebrate the history.

Frederick Douglass.. abolitionist, and successful in his speeches, he fought against slavery in much of his lifetime, well known for his first autobiography; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass…famous quote “Without Struggle, there is no progress”

Booker T. Washington ..an educator & leader in the black community, rose to popularity for his “Atlanta Address of 1895” a speech to a predominantly white audience on the issue of race relations. Later on, Washington purchased a plantation, which would later grow to become the present-day Tuskegee University.

The Buffalo Soldiers & The Tuskegee Airmen..both responsible for breakthroughs for blacks in the US military. The Buffalo Soldiers were the first all black regiments in the Army, they participated in The Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine-American War. The Tuskegee Airmen, were the first all black combat unit in the US Army Air Corps, they fought in World War II. At the end of the war the Tuskegee Airmen earned 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 8 Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars, and 744 Air Medals

W.E.B. Du Bois.. a famous writer and historian, he dedicated his life to finding way to solve racism, protect human rights, and gain a better understanding of politics. Some of his most famous pieces; The Souls of Black Folk, Black Reconstruction, The *****.

NAACP….although IMO they are irrelevant to the modern day black community based on which social issues they choose to make a stand on, they rose to prominence in the early 1900’s fighting Jim Crow laws, and then desegregation/civil rights in the mid 1900’s, publicly supporting some of the most important cases in Black History.

Huey Newton & The Black Panthers….Revolutionary/black internationalist, Huey Newton founded The Black Panther Party in 1966 in Oakland, CA. One of the groups’ focal points, was stopping police abusing their power against African Americans in Oakland. The Black Panthers patrolled the streets with rifles and shotguns, in areas where police were said to commit racially motivated crimes. In 196, Newton was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and convicted to 2-15 years in prison. 2 years later, a new trial was started, and the state of California dropped the case. After years of alleged crimes, and battling drug addictions, he was shot and killed by a drug dealer in Oakland.

Nelson Mandela..the only natural African citizen on the list, he has just as much influence in Black History as anyone else. He’s the former president of South Africa, and he spent 27 years in prison for fighting against apartheid in his native country. Even after his retirement as president, he’s still an active advocate for social and human rights organizations.

Malcolm X…The Father of Black Power, while incarcerated in his early years, he had a strong hatred for the Bible, God, and religion in general, but he would later convert to Islam. Although he was born “Malcolm Little”, after joining the Nation of Islam he changed his last name to “X”, he was quoted as saying “The X is meant to symbolize the rejection of slave names and the absence of an inherited African name to take its place”. Malcolm X, was an important spokesman for the Nation of Islam, and Blacks in America before being assassinated in 1965. He remains one of the biggest figures in Black History.

Martin Luther King Jr. … This man needs no introduction, a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, and an immortal figure in Black History.. here’s a clip of the greatness that was

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

The people mentioned are just a handful, there’s many people out there who have made contributions to Black History, and continue to do so today. Politicians, actors, preachers, entertainers- hip hop artists (our reason for being here) have a laid a foundation for us to live by, a society that is far from perfect, but one that atleast gives us a chance to succeed. Dreams that we hope to one day make a reality are achievable through knowing your history; the struggles fought before you, knowledge of those victories, and a general understanding of important figures in our culture can help you know where you are heading..So in closing, just wanted to thank all who took the time to read and/or respond to these threads during this month, and a special thanks to Sam and Sa_San for providing me with links to information as sources for some of the material posted this month as well..