The Celebration of : Colored, Negro, Black and African-American History

There was no Black History month at my elementary school in Moultrie, Georgia. Negro History was a daily learning. Mr. R. T. Daniels was the principal of Moultrie Elementary School.. He was a tall slim man. Mr. Daniels always dressed in a suit with white shirt and tie. He wore wire rim glasses which made him look very refined. During the school year he would attend each classroom reciting his favorite poets. Mr. R. T. Daniels has a deep rich voice. His rich voice would sound like thunder accenting each word giving them meaning. We “colored children” were spell bound listening to his melodic voice sometimes singing the phases in the poem. I remember the poet Paul Lawerence Dunbar When Melinda Sings" or A Negro Love Song were his favorites.. In my earlier days of educating students about Black History, I often recited A Negro Love Song.

Our gifted teachers continued this learning by pouring their knowledge of Negro history into our innocent minds. Ms. Everett our English and French teacher was uncompromising on every child learning "The Negro Creed" written by Mavis B. Nixon. None of us could escape the demand of memorizing this Creed line by line. And one by one had to stand in front of the class and recite it. I can recite the first lines of the Creed imprinted my memory even to this day. “I Am A Negro I offer no apologies for my race, or for my color. I am proud of my people now, in the past, for the future…”

These memories continue to light my life. The love of stories and poetry is one of my passions. Paul Lawerence Dunbar is still among my favorites and a newly added Mss Amanda Gorman. "There is always light if only we are brave enough to see it, if only we are brave enough to see it"

Now you have this unique opportunity to share my love of history and stories rooted in African-American history to continue the learning. Gather your family for story-time

Two of my favorite magnificent storytellers: Sheila Arnold and Diane Ferlatte