Hello and welcome back!
As we are nearing the end of February and Black History Month, just a few thoughts. We, as black people, have made some significant contributions to this country and have accomplished so much. I come from a predominantly black community (Muskegon Heights, MI), where, from the outside, we have always been viewed in a negative light; the positive is always overlooked or put on the backburner. In the bigger sense, that is the way we, as blacks and African Americans, have been placed on this country—on the backburner, at least until the month of February.
We are strong, educated, and we matter every single day of the year. With that being said, I ask that everyone who reads this, no matter your race or color, please take the time to celebrate and recognize our history and contributions, treating it as a norm as we recognize everything else considered significant to this country. In my professional life as of late, I’ve been assisting on a few upcoming projects that continue to explore black history and further remind and educate us all on the lasting marks we’ve made. One of those upcoming projects is by Ms. Tracee Bruce, also from the Muskegon Heights community and my Soror (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., baby!), who has written a book with uncommon Black History lessons and facts that is a must-read! Please follow her on Facebook and join her waiting list…the book will be out soon.
I would love to hear your feedback, maybe get some ideas of topics to write about in my upcoming columns. Email me at shanikathewriter@gmail.com.
Until next time,