The month of February is very busy for black people in the community.  We are probably busy helping children do research for their book reports on people such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Harriet Tubman.  Maybe some of us are creating schedules for all the cultural celebratory events we plan to invite ourselves to attend.  Perhaps we find ourselves at our local coffee and barber shops lending our ears to an elder as they speak of historic events and life experiences. Or we are playing catch-up visiting and supporting neighboring black owned businesses. Whatever the case, there is a certain energy that the conscious people of the black community emit into the air that is evident, at least for the month of February.  But why does the interest of history stop here?

We understand that there is a history beyond Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver and so on.  There is a history that dates back further than slavery. But every Black History Month, thanks to the media, this is what is presented to us on the television and radio stations. We are bombarded with stories of slavery and apartheid or the March on Washington, which don't date back more than 50 to 150 years. This is as far back in history as our brains, and the brains of our children, have been conditioned to remember. The media and public education system is controlled by the same evil that enslaved our ancestors.

Why doesn't the media show how our ancestors lived on the continent of Merita (Africa) before slavery or tribal dances and ceremonies or the original language of our ancestors? I can think of a few reasons, but the reasons why they choose not to present our original culture to us is unimportant. The reasons we don’t take the time to investigate our own history and ancestors is where the importance lies. So far, our investigation led us to conclude that Black History Month is the shortest month of the year. And once we’ve had this great epiphany on the fact that we’ve been bamboozled and this system doesn’t care about us, do we take the time to question other conspiracies that have been presented to us by this same system?

We have become like a herd of sheep in this society. We are all followers. The history of our slave masters can be recited by us more than our own.  All through elementary, high school and college years, our brains are programmed like robots with what should be the goal for us as human beings.  Besides being taught about Benjamin Franklin, Theodore Roosevelt, Hitler and others associated with American history, we leave these institutions of higher learning inspired to make money. This society thrives off the notion that “Money Equals Power” which is the agenda of this society.

It’s so important to understand the bigger picture. The more you work, the more money you make to give right back to the system that initially robbed you of something much more valuable than money.  Also, the more you work, the less time you have to invest in searching for your true identity, the identity that streams from the bloodline of your ancestors. It is our ancestors who give us our history. However, we are raised to believe that if something doesn’t have monetary value, it is worthless.

It is because of your ancestors that you even exist. There is no “you” without your ancestors. In other words, you do not own the blood that flows through your veins nor did you create it. The bloodline of your ancestors traces back thousands and thousands of years. And yes, your ancestors play a vital role in your life. As humans, sometimes we walk around with an attitude that can be perceived as conceited. Whether you feel you have been successful or not, ancestors have a hand in your life.

If what I am trying to convey sounds foreign, it is only because the evil of the system has done an outstanding job at keeping us mentally dependent on them. This is the result of slavery. It is as if we look to the system for approval before we begin the process of thinking for ourselves. People are taught that there is no life after death, which gives us the idea that our ancestors are not present in our everyday lives and that we too, will not become an ancestor one day. Most of us look at this life as an opportunity to make and spend as much money as we can, to enjoy life and soak up everything now. Look where this mentality has gotten us. There are rappers, murderers, thieves, homosexuals, orgies, etc. We live in a society where anything goes, as long as it keeps us focusing on the now and not our futures that surpass our deaths.

Imagine making this transition yourselves and none of your descendants acknowledged that you ever existed and didn’t care to give you any recognition. You have paved the way for life to continue through your bloodline but you are viewed as just some dead relative. Would you be pleased with that? It is important to keep in mind that the corruption of this world has made us afraid to know our history and understand our culture. Everything that validated any true spirituality and the connection we had to our ancestors was stolen from us then re-presented to the world as evil and wicked. This is done to insure that we never ever get back home.

So while you are out doing research for your children’s latest Black History report, visiting a nearby coffee shop, thumbing through books at your local bookstore or checking your daily planner on when the next cultural event takes place, remember your ancestors are with you. They are watching and waiting for you to acknowledge their presence in your life. Don’t let the month of February become the limit of the attention you give to finding out more about your history, your ancestors and your bloodline. It is true, you can’t take money with you, but your bloodline is what remains constant.