Brent and Jeff begin with a story of the last flowers that Dr. King sent his wife. She was surprised to find they were artificial flowers and thought the florist sent it by mistake. When she asked her husband about this, he surprised her by say that is what he intended to send. He wanted her to have flowers that would always keep.
Today the guys discuss ideas to help readers make Black History month something that should always keep. As it stays fresh in the American story, it should become something that is the overall narrative, not just one month – something woven into the fabric of America.
So how do we keep it fresh, not old or stale? How do we honor the heart of Black History Month?
Reflecting on the contributions of all people throughout history is a great place to continue your journey on this.
The guys explore this through the categories of Books, Documentaries, Museums, and Historically Black Colleges.
Books:
- Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael Emerson & Christian Smith
- Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win by John Perkins
- Oneness Embraced by Dr. Tony Evans
- The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
- Letters to a Young Sister: Define Your Destiny by Hill Harper
- Letters to a Young Brother by Hill Harper
- Roots by Alex Haley
- I Know Why the Cage Bird Signs by Maya Angelo
- Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement from the 1950’s Through the 1980’s by Henry Hampton and Steve Fayer
- Malcom X Autobiography
Movies/ Documentary:
- The Great Debaters
- Freedom Riders
- Selma
- Hidden Figures, Marshall, & 42
- The Hate U Give
- Amistad
Civil Rights Museums:
- The National Civil Rights Museum (Lorraine Motel in Memphis)
- Location of Dr. King’s April 4, 1968 assassination.
- National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta, GA)
- Fun Fact: Jeff’s oldest has a picture hanging in the museum
- Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (Birmingham, AL)
- Rosa Parks Museum (Montgomery, AL)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (Washington, DC)
- Edmund Pettus Bridge (Selma, AL)
Famous HBCU’s: The lack of education was a form of oppression. Slave owners would edit Bibles.
- Atlanta University Center (AUC)
- Spelman
- Morehouse
- Clarke Atlanta
- Howard University – DC (Thurgood Marshall)
- Hampton – Hampton, VA
- Xavier University – New Orleans
- Dillard – New Orleans
- North Carolina A&T – Greensboro, NC
- Florida A&M – Tallahassee
- North Carolina Central – Durham
- Morgan State – Baltimore
- Tuskegee – Tuskegee, AL
- Delaware State – Dover
- Jackson State – Jackson MS (Deon Sanders is HC for Football)
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