African American History Month

You know, I'm mixed on today's proclamation by Shrub to declare February African American History month. Well, shit. No I'm not. I getting tired of white men in charge doing what they think is best for the black men. Take this as evidence of yet another in the string of proclamations by Shrub that doesn't fit well in the pantheon of great presidential proclamations:

African-American organizations have played a vital role in achieving justice and equal rights, and they have helped make communities across our country stronger and better. This year's theme of African American History Month, "Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black Fraternal, Social, and Civic Institutions," recognizes the African-American groups that have worked to confront injustices and expand opportunities. These organizations believe in the potential and worth of every person, and they have worked to help all Americans receive a quality education, to feed the hungry and house the homeless, to encourage youth to make healthy choices, and to reach out to others in need. By answering the call to love a neighbor as we would like to be loved ourselves, these groups have set a positive example, and we continue to be inspired by their compassion and service to others.

Morgan Freeman sums it up pretty well:

"You're going to relegate my history to a month?" the 68-year-old actor says in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" to air Sunday (7 p.m. EST). "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."

...Freeman notes there is no "white history month," and says the only way to get rid of racism is to "stop talking about it."

The actor says he believes the labels "black" and "white" are an obstacle to beating racism. "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man," Freeman says.

You have got to admit there is something to the notion that African Americans have been left out of the story of American History to the detriment of us all.

Blog on all.