It's Black and White!

The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him! - Proverbs 18:17

Today brings an end to the month of February. The month of February was set aside by President Ford in 1976 to commemorate the history and contributions of black Americans in the development of American society and culture. Most Americans are ignorant concerning America's founding and founders, its providential path to a free and independent state, and the important roles played by many people with a deep conviction and trust in God Almighty. It is also true that most Americans are even more ignorant of the roles black Americans have played in the country's birth and development. Many Americans are somewhat knowledgeable about the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties, slavery in early years of the Republic, and the poor treatment of blacks through most of the pre-civil rights era. However, when asked to name the contributions of black Americans in the Revolutionary War or the development of the black political thought and action, most people will scratch their heads and admit to possessing very little or no knowledge at all about those areas.

According to a 2003 Wallbuilder's article:

A black civil rights leader recently told an assembly at Michigan State University that American democracy was only decades old rather than centuries - that not until the 1965 Voting Rights Act when blacks could vote did democracy truly begin.[1]

Unfortunately, in most cases, there is only one side of the story being presented to students and the public.

In 1911, President Woodrow Wilson, however, wisely observed:

A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about. [2]

If any group of people should study and understand history, it should be Christians. We understand that history has a purpose and is moving in a direction ordained by God himself. The Bible says that the men of Issachar understood the times and knew what to do. The history of all nations, peoples, and tribes must be understood and examined through the lens of God's eternal plan and purposes. To view history through the set of lenses provided by revolutionaries, revisionists, or secularists will eventually lead to a society shaped by the image of its history providers. Black History Month has been designated for ALL Americans to take an opportunity to examine a part of their country's history, and the amount you will learn may surprise you. For a good starting point, I recommend going to Wallbuilder's homepage and clicking on Black History. There are numerous articles and videos, all documented, for your reading, viewing, and learning pleasure.

May we take the time to be studious of and give thanks for our history and for those who pioneered the blessed road we now find ourselves on.

Pastor Don

Endnotes:

[1] The Washington Times online, Steve Miller, "Jackson dismisses Founding Fathers," September 16, 2002.

[2] William J. Federer, America's God and Country, Encyclopedia of Quotations (FAME Pub., Inc., 1996), p. 697.