By Carol Fisher-Linn
I’m white. I celebrate Black History month. I also like to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, St. Patty’s Day, Hanukkah and many holidays and events from other cultures different from my Polish American roots because it broadens my perspective and gives space to the “others” outside of my bubble. As Desi used to say to Lucy, “let me ‘splain.”
Despite the prejudice against non-whites that I grew up knowing about during the ‘50’s, Americans eagerly invited Cuban-born Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Alberni II into their living rooms weekly. Over time, “Desi” was more than accepted. He and Lucy together were adored, and their impact on the world of entertainment endures, witnessed by Jamestown’s Lucy Desi Museum and the throngs who visit there annually.
Years ago, I was able to snag a ticket to see Harry Belafonte and was delighted I was not one of the SRO (standing room only) tickets they had to sell because he was so popular. Day-O! An outstanding entertainer he was even more known for his philanthropy and involvement in civic issues. Remember Live Aid? That was the concert that helped fight hunger in Africa. Belafonte saw a BBC report in late 1984 about the devastating famine in Ethiopia. Long story short, he started Live Aid with Bob Geldof. Black artists, Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson wrote “We are the World.” Bet you know the song, sang with it, and felt a tug at your heart, and maybe even your purse strings. I simply so appreciate those men. Bet you do too.
I start some mornings with the Today Show when I’m not under deadline for an article or two. I remember when much of America held their breaths until our beloved Al Roker once again appeared all hale and hearty after some big health issues. Who doesn’t love Al?
Speaking of “Al” sounding names, there was Ali who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee. He dazzled us with his footwork and his speed in the ring, but he did even more for humanity supporting the Special Olympics, Make-a-Wish Foundation and more. We all loved and supported Ali. There wasn’t a dry eye when he lit the Olympic Cauldron in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Before his death, Ali was chosen to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace because of his work in developing nations. His fans wanted to build something to memorialize him. Instead, he built the Muhammed Ali Center, a multicultural center with a museum in his hometown of Louisville in 2005. His quote here says it all about this amazing human being: “I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given,” he said. “Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. I wanted more than a building to house my memorabilia. I wanted a place that would inspire people to be the best that they could be at whatever they chose to do, and to encourage them to be respectful of one another.” The man set a stunning example for all of us.
Think about those other-than-white people you can name that you’ve grown to admire: Morgan Freeman, Samuel Jackson, Jackie Chan, Hallie Barry, Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Whitney Houston. Here are some that might not be at the tip of your tongue: Gladys West, the mathematician whose extremely detailed model of the Earth became the foundation of GPS (think movie – Hidden Figures), Henrietta Lacks whose 1951 cancer cells (taken without her permission) are the source for the HeLa cell line which, to this day, scientists use for the development of vaccines. Finally, meet Elijah McCoy, a son of slaves and Inventor who revolutionized the railroad … the list is endless. So much, so many to celebrate. And we haven’t even mentioned Desmond Tutu and Marin Luther King!
Step out of your bubble. Travel. Engage. Get to know other nationalities, races, and cultures. Every one of them is so rich in history and ideas, offering each of us so much to broaden our knowledge and our understanding of each other. Every person we meet, whether white, black, Jamaican, Asian, Cuba, Puerto Rican, Polish, French, Indian, Greek, Haitian, Russian, German, Irish are all our brothers and sisters in the larger picture. I love watching the Ancestry program, Finding your Roots with Louis Gates. Through his work, he finds that we are indeed all related by a common African ancestor. Think about that and help me celebrate each of us during Black History month.
Gladys Mae West (née Brown; born October 27, 1930) is an American mathematician. She is known for her contributions to mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of satellite geodesy models, that were later incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS). West was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018. West was awarded the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for the development of satellite geodesy models. (Wikipedia)
Henrietta Lacks (born Loretta Pleasant; August 1, 1920 – October 4, 1951) was an African-American woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line, the first immortalized human cell line and one of the most important cell lines in medical research. An immortalized cell line reproduces indefinitely under specific conditions, and the HeLa cell line continues to be a source of invaluable medical data to the present day. (Wikipedia)
Elijah J. McCoy (May 2, 1844 – October 10, 1929) was a Canadian-American engineer of African-American descent who invented lubrication systems for steam engines. Born free on the Ontario shore of Lake Erie to parents who fled enslavement in Kentucky, he traveled to the United States as a young child when his family returned in 1847, becoming a U.S. resident and citizen. His inventions and accomplishments were honored in 2012 when the United States Patent and Trademark Office named its first regional office, in Detroit, Michigan, the “Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Patent Office”. (Wikipedia)