ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, March 18, 1996 TAG: 9603180006
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: AJENE QUILLIN
AN OPEN letter to African-American youths, especially those of high school age:
Like many of your peers around the country, you probably were exposed to some facet of the myriad of celebrations commemorating Black History Month. Some of you, no doubt, are appreciative; some of you still don't understand what the fuss was all about. And, of course, there are a few of you who probably couldn't care less
That's understandable. As a group, you did not feel the hammer of legal segregation (as we did); you didn't drink water from water fountains labeled ``For black only''; you were not forced to ride in the ``black only'' cars on trains.
You have been spared the indignity of not being allowed to try on a garment to determine its fit and suitability in downtown stores because of the color of your skin. And you certainly were not on the Selma to Montgomery march. (You may want to view ``Eye on the Prize,'' an excellent documentary chronicling this critical period in American history.)
You have not had to study from history books that only highlighted some of the achievements - and deservedly so - of Booker T. Washington or George Washington Carver. We were told that Dr. Carver was a great scientist, but not how his revolutionary agricultural ideas saved the South from starvation while spawning new industries with his research on peanuts, sweet potatoes and other plants.
We knew little of the slave revolts and the black involvement in the underground railroad. The politics of Reconstruction, the black codes and the mass migration of blacks from the South to points west, east and north were absent from the pages we studied - not to mention the works of Richard Wright, John Weldon Johnson or Lorraine Hanseberry. So, you see, our exposure was minimal.
I imagine it's difficult for you to understand your parents' generation's passion for black history or what was (for us), our mantra: Education! Education! Education!
Keep in mind that black history (or any history), regardless of embellishments, ultimately teaches one essential principle: History is in essence an acting out (and a recording) of wills - either negatively or positively, depending upon one's experience(s) or vantage point.
Consequently, we all have within us the will (and power) to change our personal circumstances; and if we wish, we can alter our communities and nations. W.E.B. Dubois, writer, abolitionist and a founder of the NAACP, couldn't be broken by his slave masters; the Tuskegee flyers were determined to be some of the best aviators during World War II (and succeeded); Chuck Berry left prison to become the father of rock 'n roll; Martin Luther King Jr., a product of Georgia, with his broad nose, kinky hair and dark complexion, became the conscience of America.
And what about you? In what direction will your understanding of history inspire you? I hope you aren't one of those individuals who foolishly believe that being a voracious reader, that having an expanded vocabulary, that loving to engage in the world of ideas are tantamount to ``acting white.''
Such is an expression of profound ignorance. Anyone guilty of making such a statement doesn't understand that a desire for education and higher learning is one of the hallmarks (along with consideration for others) that sets us apart from our lower kingdom cousins. During the '50s and '60s, we knew that there could be no progress for us without an education. We understood this as a simple fact, beyond dispute - so much so that we dreaded being seen or thought of as stupid or ignorant. Moreover, we understood that knowledge was (is) crucial for survival and adaptability.
How much thought are you giving to the future and the "hows" and "whys" of achieving your goals? How many of you can visualize yourselves working as a corporate executive? Or what about owning your own plumbing or electrical company? Are you visualizing yourselves teaching or coaching young people in an educational setting? How many of you can see yourselves functioning in a political arena? Or what about being an influential columnist or writer? Can you see yourselves making a difference, is what I'm really trying to get at here.
Creating such a vision in our mind's eye is profoundly difficult when we think that we have to have a pound of gold strung around our necks, or five pairs of Air Jordans in our closets, a car that one may be willing to obtain by whatever means it takes to get it - and regardless of who may be hurt in the process!
Without such a vision of hope and possibilities, one is condemned to the fate of the dinosaur: a relic of the past, unable to adapt to the demands of a rapidly changing information-driven society. I'm sure you can see the relevance of the aphorism: ``Intelligence will rule the world while ignorance will bear the burden.'' Such a statement is a profound truth of history.
Let's hope that in the year 2020, history books, in discussing America's youth culture will read something akin to this: All over America, black youths made unparalleled commitments to overcome the destructive mindsets that predominated in black communities, and became agents of change and development. To this end, hundreds of thousands enrolled in technical schools, training programs, colleges and universities. No longer do the number of black men in prison outnumber those in college; the gross materialism that inspired the deadly drug trade has given way to a vigorous entrepreneurial spirit; black-on-black crime is almost nonexistent; teen pregnancy rarely exists outside of marriage. Black youths are joining their brown, Native American and white counterparts in ushering in an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm for learning and a renewed appreciation for the applied sciences.
Black history hopefully will provide for you the mental boost that will propel you out of the gravity of negativity and inertia and into the fulfilled world of possibility and action. Some of your peers have already gone to the mountaintop! They understand the promise and hope of America is alive and well.
Now the rest of you who believe that skin color is a barrier will in no way, form or fashion experience the beauty of contribution, production and creativity that is our legacy as human beings, foremost and Americans. Ultimately, whatever progress we make individually is going to be totally dependent upon our mental development and the way we view ourselves and the world.
Racism, you may argue, is as American as apple pie. True, it's a fact of life, just like black-on-black crime is a reality. Both are not ends unto themselves. They are just stumbling blocks.
A friend of mine once said that after years of crisis and failures he (without bitterness) saw the challenges that he had endured as his creator's way of determining if he's made out of the right stuff! I will ask you the same question: Are you made out of the right stuff? Will you accept the challenge of a lifetime? Your life is your Super Bowl, your NBA championship, your World Series. Be the proud receptacle of black history that you indeed are.
Ajene Quillin of Lexington is employed with the Natural Bridge Juvenile Correctional Learning Center.
LENGTH: Long : 124 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Gary Viskupic/Newsdayby CNB