Establishing Utopian America

Significance of Black History Month

In the climate of today’s Critical Race Theory debate, it is importMulticulturalant to understand and appreciate the contributions of various religious, racial and ethnic communities that are the underpinning of our nation. Too often these contributions are reduced to preconceived stereotypical views.

In my opinion the United States can benefit greatly from the pluralistic contributions of its citizens. In recognition of Black History month, I have selected the African American community as our sample population.

Since 1976, starting with Gerald Ford, every president has honored Black History month with a proclamation. On this occasion he said that this celebration enabled our citizens to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

When Ronald Reagan was elected President, he said, “Understanding the history of Black Americans is a key to understanding the strength of our nation.”

Although spoken in the context of the African American experience, these two presidential statements speak to the neglected accomplishments and insights into the strength of our nation to which all racial, ethnic and religious communities have contributed.

Historical Background

American history is marred by the residual practices and policies of chattel slavery. Not-with-standing, the descendants of those slaves have made substantial contributions to our country.

Facing insurmountable odds, these, our countrymen, have established business and educational institutions and have advanced themselves to the highest civic and political positions in our nation. They are a living testimony to Booker T. Washington’s observation “… success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”

These and many other noteworthy achievements should be credited to African American people. We must also remember that similar contributions have benefited America that were made by men and women of other racial, ethnic and religious groups as well.

Recognizing and acknowledging the contributions of all participants in a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society is the real strength of our nation; and Black History month brings to the forefront of our minds the talents and opportunities afforded us in its pluralistic composition.

The Threat

In today’s Congress of The United States, the residual effects of racial, ethnic and religious partitioning threaten to undermine our democracy. Motivated by power and greed, “The Big Lie” justifies politicians aligning themselves for selfish gains rather than for the good of the nation — the rich get richer and the poor suffer.

Although aligning oneself racially provides a sense of solidarity, it is too narrow a focus to address the malaise that faces our nation. In scripture, we have a verse that says, “We created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of The Almighty is the most righteous of you.” (Qur’an 49:13). This verse suggests that our rightly guided moral conduct is more pleasing to our Creator than our nationalistic associations.

Collective Moral Conscious

Addressing the various underpinning ideologies in our country, social and economic policies and legislative practices cannot achieve equity and social justice for all citizens. What is needed is a collective moral consciousness that transcends racial, ethnic and religious sensitivities. We should see ourselves answering to a higher authority than our individual “group.” Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., envisioned such a nation. Closing his monumental August, 23, 1963 speech, he articulated a model of a Utopian America which he identified as “freedom.”

He said, “When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”