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2004 Blog Entries
March ~ Entry #3

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Blog #3. 3-7-04: Let us not leave Black History Month Behind

Black History Must be Remembered and Celebrated DAILY until we no longer have to say, as did Moses: “Let My People Go”

Two books from 2002 and a third to come out this year address not only our Black history and our African American history but Minneapolis history as well. These books help us to celebrate it and remind us why we must make every effort to see that it is not erased. The first is Harry Davis’ book Overcoming, a powerful word defining the progress that has come from the struggle of all African Americans in Minneapolis (see Column #4). The other book is The Minneapolis Story, Through My Eyes. No African American in Minneapolis worthy of his or her history can claim authentically to have that history unless they have read these two books that not only explain and strengthen our roots, but connect us to them so that we remain firm in our struggle to keep our eye on the prize until all of our people have equal access and equal opportunity. A third book will soon be available, in March of 2004, a continuation or “Vol. II” of The Minneapolis Story, a book that will be entitled The Story of America’s Inner Cities As Seen in the Black Experience of Minneapolis, Mn, a book that will be available on this web site.

What greater tragedy than for our children and our children’s children not to know our struggles and be proud of what we have accomplished, accomplishments far greater than any White person’s struggle born on the other side of the aisle of slavery, Jim Crow, and continued discrimination?

February’s Black History Month needs to remembered year round. We need better habits of remembering, practiced weekly if not daily, to remind us not only of our wonderful history but the wonderful history that can be ours to make if we don’t take our eyes off the prize. Begin with these books. But history is not our idol. History has a way of playing cruel tricks on those who chase it through rear view mirrors. It is the future made in the present that counts. The truth in history is what Overcoming as well as the Chapters and Historic Interludes of The Minneapolis Story, Through My Eyes provide. So let’s celebrate our history and continue to work to make history by building our better tomorrows today.

When Moses was kicked out of Egypt they erased his name so there was no trace left of him. We cannot allow the great markers of our history to leave us without a trace of our past. If Nellie Stone Johnson and her DFL co-founder Hubert Humphrey were still with us, they would lead us in the cause. Where is the DFL and the NAACP, and why are they AWOL from the civil rights struggle today? Why are they silent? Why don’t they embrace or at least explore the solutions documents on this web site, especially (1) Seven Solution areas and (2) The Blocks to Construct a Minneapolis Table for All to Sit at Together Why? What are people afraid of? To find out, start by reading these books.

Posted Sunday, 3-7-04, 1:11 a.m.


Ron hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm. Formerly head of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League, he continues his “watchdog” role for Minneapolis. Order his book, hear his voice, read his solution papers, and read his between columns “web log” at www.TheMinneapolisStory.com.

Permission is granted to reproduce The Minneapolis Story columns, blog entires and solution papers. Please cite the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and www.TheMinneapolisStory.com for the columns. Please cite www.TheMinneapolisStory.com for blog entries and solution papers.

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