LETTER TO THE EDITOR – Protestation

Mr. Lt. Governor, History Books Should Call “Racism,” What IT Is.

BY KAYOLYN PERSON

I have a protestation that revels repulsion to think that our intelligence should be, is, insulted by the notion that the truth of systemic-racism, is not a beast, and a monster, is a bold faced lie. To go forth to say that this should not be taught because it will be an agent to instill a poor self image or promote the disease of poor self-esteem is preposterous

. Firstly, born, reared, nurtured, supported, and revalidated that I came to this earth to live in the residence of this world as an equal to every other human being. I have the years of longevity to say that I’ve been fortunate enough to live those evidences in the County of Wake, in N.C.

Secondly, I’m saged enough to be dressed in the knowledge that there was a cloak of care bestowed upon me by those whom came before. It was because of their diligence to speak the truth of that I was in the atmosphere of where I lived, where I was, and where I was not permitted to go.

About where I was permitted to go and where I was not permitted to go was the definition of segregation. My acceptance of that situation was cushioned by the fact that my elders did not leave me in the dark when they explained to me that I was living in a world that was devised by ones that decided that intermingling with the white race was not accepted, not permitted. The lines and avenues of permission were set by whites, for them, and the definition of non-permission for Blacks. While I lived with the knowledge, I had a life that was filled with the closets of reassurance that I was eligible to be a most productive human being, be a human being who excelled to the best of my ability. The black and white of my actual day-to-day place of existence in my neighborhood was one of reality. We were strivers, not to be daunted by challenges of miscalculation and bigotry. My acceptance of my youth’s history brings a smile to my face and to my heart and mind to know that I had the opportunity to flourish. After all, that is why we plant flowers. We look forward to their lovely of appearing and their loveliness of being abloom.

Further, I speak to why the teaching of every truth is necessary. Teaching purports to instill learning. When one has learned, he is endowed with the position to act in the world’s society with the intelligence of education. Other than God’s way of giving to us common sense, He has engendered us to have the need for questions and answers. We are not left to know the hearts and minds of other men. We are provided with bowels of dictionaries and thesauruses that reveal the depths of the answer to why we live amid the goings on among all humans. In this respect, I lived in my fair city and attended our esteemed buildings of education. They were the other foundations that told me of the engrained world where I lived, where I had lived and where I was to live. My Black self lived in a Black community, attended a Black church and I attended and received my education in the annals of Black schools. The Black schools held the classrooms where I was taught that my education was segregated. I read from books that were stamped with the names of the schools from whence these books had come. The majority of my tenure in t he first twelve years of receiving my education from books that had been used by White schools first, then the Black schools that I attended. I believe that was the institution of the word, “systemic.” There is no, “maybe not.” That is a fact. I was blessed to have teachers who indoctrinated us to take care of these tools and learn from them. They taught from them and they further went to buy books to help us live on life’s even playing field. Their knowledge was the second choir to let me know that I received second hand and some less than, educational truths.

As I go on to say that 2021 and on, should do nothing other than teach the dastardly truth of some of the definitions of color of words that are placed in the world of debate and is a coloration of our present society’s state and status, because some white washing has been the order of the day, the order of teaching. This is not a credit to the definition of education nor to the institutions of education. When we clasp the strong hands of truth, we will be the enlightened citizens that we have need to be and to become.  

In my first grade classroom, I was taught that the month of February held a special week. The Celebration of Black History Week was special, special in the revelation of the teachings where I learned what was published about the milestones of courage, suffering, enduring and genius that blacks contributed to the United States of America and indeed the world. There were tidbits of teachings from my educators that showed more expansive grounds where we made our marks. My feeing is that I would have had an ignorance had it been left to others to share these gems with me. 

Gems, these I speak about; the unabridged knowledge that was imparted was to help me to be more well rounded. These are some black and whites that were hurtful and painful. They are still a part of today. History’s gems held lights that were subjected to means for stifling them. Some of them have been dredged to seem to not be evident. In spite of obstacles and smoke screen’s attempts, the gems of a round ball have advanced my mind’s understanding that the knowledge of segregation was a place that entered into a battle with desegregation. Harsh it is, still I call segregation a gem. Much like the oyster and the pearl, the end-product is yielded by the endurance, from a week’s celebration of Black History to a Month of Celebration of Black History and beyond; 2020 painted one of the most, dark prolific pictures of why a growing body needs the proper nutrients and nurturing to grow to become its best sustainability.

In my history of formal education I found that the educators had hearts that were made for their life’s calling. They spent their time and money to make sure that others and I were properly fit to contribute to society and to continue to reside among others with open minds because we were shown all of the nooks and crannies of the goody baskets. The public library was the introduction to entering the land of the stored knowledge. My first visit to a public library was to one established especially for Blacks. (We thank God for Richard B. Harrison.) With awe and enthusiasm, I did enter into. I rode the bus from my Black community and I stepped onto streets where Blacks and Whites walked. I was privileged to have safe passage and I encountered a pleasant White bus driver, who was courteous and kind to me. He extended himself to me to keep the assurance that my mother needed; she wanted me to arrive at the library safely, and she longed to have me be delivered to our bus stop in my neighborhood, unharmed. A gem, I received.

If 2021 can be cowered to stop before it starts, the best intents of 1964’s Desegregation Law will wear another blackened eye that today’s society cannot afford. May education bear out its very definition. Teach. Teach, uncensored. Never stymie a mind’s possibility. Look at 2021’s youth and credit them with all of the potential that they unabashedly possess. They are the ones who deserve and will serve this land.

Finally, we should never regress because of fears nor because of privilege to be the gate keeper.


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