The month of February, the shortest but maybe the most significant…
It’s not about a color or shade
It’s about the fight for justice and equality.
The search for truth and right.
It’s about finding your purpose in life.
The young schoolyard boy who will whistle at Amber tomorrow, iIs he conscious? Does he know to be on alert for what he is doing? How many of us have a little bit of Emmit Till in us? Don’t we all have a Dream?
Is it wrong to educate a little girl and allow her the justice of knowing about Assata Shakur. Or if I told my sister to be a Soulijah and don’t be afraid of “Midnight” after “The Coldest Winter Ever.” Who knows how many dark nights you experience?
This is Black History month, but why and how is that significant?
What about the revolution? How earth revolves around the sun. Mother Nature works hard putting in overtime. So every four years we can have an extra day, February 29th. What one can accomplish in a day. What better example signifies hard working people who struggle for so long when they make progress the world acknowledges. I’m sure you know Harriet Tubman carried a revolver, but that does not have to be a revolving door.
I need a mentor. I want to learn the drive and motivation behind an A student like Maya Moore; Exceptional baller, Uconn Alumni and champion. The winningest athlete who’s collegiate history may never be broken. Maya Moore is a rare link. She is the lynx between Jim Crow and Minnesota.
The coldest month, the end of winter, leap year that sacred #4. Four seasons, winter, spring, summer and fall. Four ways to go north, south, east and west. And you should feel blessed to have two arms and two legs, water, earth, wind and fire.
What are we celebrating? Are we glorifying the suffering or recognizing triumph over oppression. Many more martyrs will be made, paving the road to freedom will not cease with Malcolm X or MLK. Do we salute Barack Obama for just being the president or should we salute the man for setting a strong precedent. The zeal and longevity of the value in the 1st family and the beautiful strong black woman.
Who is your Valentine? Some send their love anonymously, but February is not a mystery. For some of the most extraordinary people life is cut short. Maybe if they are lucky enough they may get one day where the world learns who or what they were. Who hears about Michelangelo, Leonardo and Van Gogh? But in America who knows the innovator the revolutionary who at 22 painted ‘Charles the First.’ The name is Jean-Michel Basquiat and he died forever young, you know the club 27. Should he have a street? What better name will represent royalty and heroism?
When in Rome you know to see the Sistine Chapel. When in New York you should know to see Basquiat. Was it graffiti, the voodoo, certainly a man is not his hair. But before the Internet or an I-pod, myspace or facebook. The Empire State was a canvas and Black History was there.
February everyone knows it’s Black History month, but why, what really are we focused on. Because for me and other prisoners, I know we are focused on life. You don’t need to be on Death Row to be focused on life.
Black and Proud,
J-Rock
Copyright © 2012 by Dushame Murrell
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