Why Black History

Why Black History

Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:7-10; 6:5-12; Genesis 9:21-25

Good morning Strangers Rest. The title of my message this morning is “Why Black History.” This month we have celebrated Black History month, but have you asked yourself why we continue to do this year after year? Has this become a check the box exercise or has its importance increased considering our current political environment. This morning, I will share with you why I believe understanding and remembering our history from a biblical and national viewpoint continues to be important for the next generation. If we do not teach those following us what it has taken for them to enjoy what they have available to them then they could end up taking what they have for granted. Let me demonstrate this with a brief look at some individuals who has a historical standing in Black History.

How many of you know the story of Ebed-Melech? He was a Black man who saved the life of Jeremiah when King Zedekiah gave permission for him to be killed. Because he saved Jeremiah’s life, God saved his. Jeremiah 39:18 records, “(18) For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,’ says the LORD.’”

I am sure that most of you have heard about Simon of Cyrene, the Black man who was pressed into service to carry the cross of Jesus. Luke 23:26 records, “Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.”

Then there is the story about Ethiopian eunuch, another Black man. His story is found in the eight chapter of the book of Acts. He was the first non-Jewish person to be baptized into the faith. But here is what’s unique about his story; God proactively sent Phillip to save him. Acts 8:26-29 records, “(26) Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, ‘Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is desert. (27) So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, (28) was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. (29) Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot.’”

These are just three stories but there are others. There was Moses’ wife Zipporah, remember how Aaron and Miriam complained about him marrying her in Numbers chapter twelve? And if you read the Song of Solomon you will find, if you study the verses which are very passionately written, that this woman, Solomon’s wife, was also black. I am sharing these examples just so you begin to understand that the Black race has an intimate history in Scripture. Now I want to share a few examples from America’s history.

My youngest daughter came home from school one day complaining. She was frustrated with the Black history lessons at school because all they ever talked about was Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr., and the Civil Rights movements. As a child she recognized that our history goes deeper than just the Civil Rights movement. To her point, I want to give you just a few examples before I get into the heart of why Black history. How many of you have heard about Sarah Breedlove? You might know her better as Madam CJ Walker. She is said to be the first Black woman to be a self-made millionaire (in today’s dollars her estate was worth eight million dollars at the time of her death in 1919.) Do you remember the movie “Hidden Figures?” This movie tells the story of three female African American mathematicians: Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who worked at NASA during the Space Race. And then there is Dr. Shirley Jackson who paved the way for the touch-tone telephone and Marie Ban Brittan Brown, a nurse, who developed the foundation for our current home security systems. This is history that our young girls should know so they understand that there is no limitation on their future except what they themselves establish internally.

Now I do want to call out a few names from the Civic Rights movements, but these names you might not be as familiar with. How many of you have heard of Rev. James Reeb, Rev. Bruce Klunder, William Moore, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, Viola Liuzzo, Jonathan Daniels, and Juliette Morgan. Each of these individuals participated in and died during the Civil Rights movement. I am calling them out because they gave their lives fighting for racial equality and they were white. Do I need to say more? Our history includes the Civil Rights movement which included white Americans who believed in equal rights for all races. We must remember that there were many whites who supported and believed that all men were created equal and were willing to take a stand for that belief and some of them died for doing so. Our generation and those that follow us need to know, understand, and accept our history – the good, the bad, and the ugly to navigate their future. So why Black history? If we do not remember and teach it to the next generation then it is subject to be lost or taken for granted.