This topic came up during a conversation about Black History Month and why should this be a month. I want to take it a step further and look at it from a broader perspective. I have acquaintances that are silent, not because they are complacent but for numerous other reasons. Fear is a big one, fear of being fired or excluded from whatever circle they are in. Another reason is not knowledgeable enough about the situation to speak up. I know I can get like that when it comes to matters of religion. I know what I believe in, and I strongly believe in that. But when people start quoting bible scriptures and telling me how things should be, I am not knowledgeable enough to jump into that argument. So sometimes silence can mean, I don’t have the tools to engage in that conversation.

Take the police force for example. Are there dirty cops…ABSOLUTELY! Do I think all police offers go to work each day to harm or kill people? No, I do not. And I truly believe a lot of officers don’t speak up/cross that blue line out of fear of retaliation. Yes, there are those that don’t speak up out of complicity and they in my opinion are just as equally wrong.

So, when it comes to Black History and racism. Yes, racism exists today, and is far more prevalent than society wants to admit. I don’t know why racism especially when it comes to African American’s is so hard to comprehend for a lot of people, but it really is. And it wasn’t as long ago as people would like to think.

A couple of ways to celebrate Black History Month:

• Support a Black-owned business
• Donate to charities supporting anti-racism efforts
• Read and or watch educational documentaries
• If you have an African American friend, have a conversation, ask questions about what this month means to them.