What Black History Month Means to Me

Recently, I was privy to a radio interview in which a talented black entertainer was asked by the show’s host what Black History Month meant to her. The entertainer, Avery Sommers, was at the station, WXEL, to promote the Spady Museum’s upcoming “Connecting Culture and Community Lecture Series,” of which she is a part. The series begins Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Spady. (Come check it out!)

The question got me to thinking. Just what does Black History Month mean to me?

The first thing that popped into my head is that it is the shortest month of the year. February has 28 days, making it the briefest of all our calendar months. I had always wondered if that was a coincidence, like black history isn’t worth recognizing another two or three days.

The second thing was that I don’t think I had ever heard that question before. Black History Month is every month for me since I wake up black every day. That means every day there is a chance for me to learn about and celebrate my heritage. I don’t have to wait for February to roll around.

But for those who are not African-American, I would suppose it is an opportunity for them to learn about a culture they live amongst every day, but may not really know. And when I ponder a bit more, Black History Month is a dedicated time for us to thank the people who came before, recognize the leaders who guide us today and make promises to the next generation.

With all of our strengths, struggles and contradications, it can be easy to overlook how simply cool we are as a people. From Gordon Parks to Michael Jackson, from Stokley Carmichael to Colin Powell, from Susan Taylor to Dr. Mae Jemison, to the school teacher we know down the street to that young woman who can blow in the choir every Sunday, we have the power to amaze.

So with that, let’s usher in Black History Month with a smile and know that even though it’s the shortest month on the calendar, we’re going to make it shine!

We’re Rockin’!

This time of year, everyone is doing something! So it seems like there are several trains moving all at once.

That’s the case at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum too. Let’s see… in the last four weeks, the following has taken place:

– The Spady Museum/Old School Square Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast went off without a hitch at 8 a.m.  on January, 18, welcoming a healthy crowd to a big breakfast, poetry, remembrances and a guest speaker.

– The “Oh Freedom Over Me” multi-media exhibit opened with large portraits, hanging from the ceiling, taking up the whole first floor gallery.

– The “Pave a Path to Spady” brick-naming campaign kicked off with bricks being purchased by board members and longtime friends and a brand new brochure. The official unveil came at the MLK Breakfast when Col. William Condry and Clarence Vaughn surprised Vera Farrington with not one, but two, bricks from their fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. More on the brick campaign later…

– The Spady Trolley Tour welcomed riders on one of the coldest days of the cold snap, January 10. The riders didn’t care about the weather; they wanted to see the city! The Trolley Tours are scheduled for the second Saturday of each month until May.

– Two new board members joined EPOCH, Inc. — Dr. Barbara Shuler and Dr. Talbert O. Shaw.

– And finally, the six-part lecture series for Connecting Community and Culture was locked down and confirmed. Ever tried coordinating multiple speakers on multiple days to speak on multiple topics?? It’s hard. But it’s done, and the first lecture on African-Americans and Modern Media is Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m.

It’s only January, and I’m tired. But it’s rockin’ at the Spady!

Riding the Trolley Into Another World

Every month, the ladies of the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum take riders on a tour through historic Delray Beach. The Trolley Tour  program got off to a modest start, but has recently gained steam through good reviews and is sold out for February and March.

I know why it gained such good feedback. It is a ride into another time, another world almost, when people knew who they lived next to, and all you needed was within walking distance. More than that, it is a trip into another country, or in my case, a trip to Haiti.

Living in Palm Beach County means literally bumping into the Haitian culture every day. Yesterday, a man from Haiti helped me put my groceries in my car and asked me a question I’m used to hearing, “Are you from Haiti?”

No, I’m not. I’m from Maryland. And I’ve never been to Haiti, but I do feel like I came close when I rode on a Spady Trolley Tour a few years ago. The tour narrated by Major Joseph Bernadel took us into the Haitian communities of Delray Beach, where the people are congregated in ways that make it seem like they are still living in their native neighborhoods. I didn’t know whole blocks were carved out with Haitian-run shops, auto repair garages, marketplaces and financial services. Clothes, money and information are packaged and sent back to family members on the island.

From the trolley windows, it no longer looked or sounded like Florida. But it was. It was Florida re-imagined by another language, another culture, another people.

I encourage anyone who thinks they “know” Delray Beach to really get to know the city with a Spady Trolley Tour. It’s worth the time. To learn more, click here.

Setting My Alarm for MLK, Jr. Day

I’m not a morning person, but I will get up for the Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast. The event begins at 8 a.m., and the breakfast sponsored by the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum and Old School Square is about a 30-minute drive from my home.

Which means to look presentable and get to the Delray Beach Golf Club on time, I have to be up at 6 a.m. My “get ready” routine takes several steps, none of which can be skipped.

So for the last four years, I have woken up two to three hours earlier than my norm (I work from home, so I have a great schedule) to make it to the MLK Breakfast. Why?

It reminds me a little of church with the community-gathering feel. Everyone is a little dressed up for the occasion, and we’re in a good mood. It’s a day to remember someone we don’t think of enough and recall how much sacrifice went into us being together now. White, African-American, Hispanic, Jewish, Haitian people all eating peacefully in mass, smiling at one another and praying together.

The young people and children in the room don’t remember “White Only” and “Colored Only” bathrooms and drinking fountains. They’ve never had their civil rights questioned or been asked to sit anywhere other than where they please. In their short lifetimes, they’ve seen two black and one female Secretaries of State; a Hispanic, female Supreme Court Justice; and a black president whose mother is white.

It’s a beautiful thing. It’s worth a celebration, a prayer, a poem or two, a candle ceremony and a hearty breakfast in nice clothing with good friends of any and all races.

It’s also worth setting my alarm for January 18.