Black History Is Important

Black History Is Important

And will be always.
Karin M. Yearwood
Karin M. Yearwood Feb 7, 2017
3
views

In the midst of political chatter influenced by bigotry, sexism, and privilege, we're kicking off 2017's Black History Month. And this year, it's even more important to remember and celebrate the thousands of African Americans that moved and shook the policies that made institutions exclusive to people of color.

Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to place a Muslim ban which prohibits persons of Muslims faith from seven countries to enter the United States. Que the hatred, que the protests. Our country has had the chair pulled from underneath her. She may soon be on her head. It's literally been less than two weeks since the new administration took office. One can wonder, does he even believe in honoring our black American heroes? I mean, that would mean thanking and giving credit to someone other than himself or people unlike him.

Instead of fueling the fire with aggressive tweets and protests, I propose we give energy to remembering the black individuals who stood up to bullies like Trump in the face of adversity, when civil rights were granted to only a portion of American citizens. We cannot allow one administration to turn back the hands of time. To undo the great progress that has been made at the expense of so many lives. Black lives. They do matter.

Our Vice President, Mike Pence took to Twitter, that good 'ol social media platform which functions more like cesspool for politicians and people who are openly racist, giving a shout out to Abraham Lincoln for signing the 13th Amendment ending slavery. This was Pence's Black History Month tweet. Hopefully, the last. At least until he can get a better understanding of the American tradition and why we celebrate it. Black History Month is not about the end of slavery itself. Yes, Lincoln did officially end slavery. However, the white president who, by the way, flip-flopped on emancipating slaves actually did not believe the negro was equal to whites. That is what subsequent black generations had to fight to get. Equality. And arguably blacks are still fighting to get that.

Black History Month is more than 100 years old. It is not some new eclectic trend. The histories of black Americans have been downplayed or even ignored throughout mainstream American history. Now we have the ability to share and spread knowledge and inspiration right at our finger tips. History is being made daily. Let's be sure to never allow any of it to be overshadowed or pushed to the side. We are still here.

Cover Image Credit: www.pixels.com
Karin M. Yearwood
Karin M. Yearwood Feb 7, 2017
At Ellicott City, MD

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When You Give A Girl A Dad

You give her everything
Tristen Duhon
Tristen Duhon Apr 10, 2017
77120
views

They say that any male can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad. That dads are just the people that created the child, so to speak, but rather, dads raise their children to be the best they can be. Further, when you give a little girl a dad, you give her much more than a father; you give her the world in one man.

When you give a girl a dad, you give her a rock.

Life is tough, and life is constantly changing directions and route. In a world that's never not moving, a girl needs something stable. She needs something that won't let her be alone; someone that's going to be there when life is going great, and someone who is going to be there for her when life is everything but ideal. Dads don't give up on this daughters, they never will.

When you give a girl a dad, you give her a role model.

If we never had someone to look up to, we would never have someone to strive to be. When you give a little girl someone to look up to, you give her someone to be. We copy their mannerisms, we copy their habits, and we copy their work ethic. Little girls need someone to show them the world, so that they can create their own.

When you give a girl a dad, you give her the first boy she will ever love.

And I'm not really sure someone will ever be better than him either. He's the first guy to take your heart, and every person you love after him is just a comparison to his endless, unmatchable love. He shows you your worth, and he shows you what your should be treated like: a princess.

When you give a girl a dad, you give her someone to make proud.

After every softball game, soccer tournament, cheerleading competition, etc., you can find every little girl looking up to their dads for their approval. Later in life, they look to their dad with their grades, internships, and little accomplishments. Dads are the reason we try so hard to be the best we can be. Dads raised us to be the very best at whatever we chose to do, and they were there to support you through everything. They are the hardest critics, but they are always your biggest fans.

When you give a girl a dad, you give her a credit card.

It's completely true. Dads are the reason we have the things we have, thank the Lord. He's the best to shop with too, since he usually remains outside the store the entire time till he is summoned in to forge the bill. All seriousness, they always give their little girls more than they give themselves, and that's something we love so much about you.

When you give a girl a dad, you give her a shoulder to cry on.

When you fell down and cut yourself, your mom looked at you and told you to suck it up. But your dad, on the other hand, got down on the ground with you, and he let you cry. Then later on, when you made a mistake, or broke up with a boy, or just got sad, he was there to dry your tears and tell you everything was going to be okay, especially when you thought the world was crashing down. He will always be there to tell you everything is going to be okay, even when they don't know if everything is going to be okay. That's his job.

When you give a girl a dad, you give her a lifelong best friend.

My dad was my first best friend, and he will be my last. He's stood by me when times got tough, he carried me when I just couldn't do it anymore, and he yelled at me when I deserved it; but the one thing he has never done was give up on me. He will always be the first person I tell good news to, and the last person I ever want to disappoint. He's everything I could ever want in a best friend and more.

Dads are something out of a fairytale. They are your prince charming, your knight in shinny amour, and your fairy godfather. Dads are the reasons we are the people we are today; something that a million "thank you"' will never be enough for.

Cover Image Credit: tristen duhon
Tristen Duhon
Tristen Duhon Apr 10, 2017
At University of Mississippi

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8 Types Of People Fetuses Grow Into That 'Pro-Lifers' Don't Give 2.5 Shits About

It is easy to fight for the life of someone who isn't born, and then forget that you wanted them to be alive when you decide to hate their existence.

Sara Petty
Sara Petty May 23, 2019
1279
views

For those in support of the #AbortionBans happening all over the United States, please remember that the unborn will not always be a fetus — he or she may grow up to be just another person whose existence you don't support.

The fetus may grow up to be transgender — they may wear clothes you deem "not for them" and identify in a way you don't agree with, and their life will mean nothing to you when you call them a mentally unstable perv for trying to use the bathroom.

The fetus may grow up to be gay — they may find happiness and love in the arms of someone of the same gender, and their life will mean nothing to you when you call them "vile" and shield your children's eyes when they kiss their partner.

The fetus may grow up and go to school — to get shot by someone carrying a gun they should have never been able to acquire, and their life will mean nothing to you when your right to bear arms is on the line.

The fetus may be black — they may wear baggy pants and "look like a thug", and their life will mean nothing to you when you defend the police officer who had no reason to shoot.

The fetus may grow up to be a criminal — he might live on death row for a heinous crime, and his life will mean nothing to you when you fight for the use of lethal injection to end it.

The fetus may end up poor — living off of a minimum wage job and food stamps to survive, and their life will mean nothing to you when they ask for assistance and you call them a "freeloader" and refuse.

The fetus may end up addicted to drugs — an experimentation gone wrong that has led to a lifetime of getting high and their life will mean nothing to you when you see a report that they OD'd and you make a fuss about the availability of Narcan.

The fetus may one day need an abortion — from trauma or simply not being ready, and her life will mean nothing to you as you wave "murderer" and "God hates you" signs as she walks into the office for the procedure.

* * *

Do not tell me that you are pro-life when all of the above people could lose their lives in any way OUTSIDE of abortion and you wouldn't give 2.5 shits.

You fight for the baby to be born, but if he or she is gay or trans, you will berate them for who they are or not support them for who they love.

You fight for the baby to be born, but if he or she is poor or addicted, you will refuse the help they desperately need or consider their death a betterment of society.

You fight for the baby to be born, but when the used-to-be-classroom-of-fetuses is shot, you care more about your access to firearms than their lives.

It is easy to pretend you care about someone before they are even born, and easy to forget their birth was something you fought for when they are anything other than what you consider an ideal person.

Sara Petty
Sara Petty May 23, 2019
At Bowling Green State University

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