Black Families Matter

I would like to thank my family for inspiring me and working with me to address the systemic racial issues. I thank God for my husband who has given me the encouragement and words of wisdom to stand here today to address these issues.

Here we are in 2020 and it saddens my heart to know Black people are still being treated as slaves with a knee on our necks. Al Sharpton couldn’t have said this better at the memorial for George Floyd, “Even having a black president, there was a knee on his neck challenging his ethnicity and citizenship.” We are now living in a time where we can no longer look back after we fought for 401 years to be free and live in unity. I challenged myself to understand racist peoples actions, as well as how they think. I came up with the realization that this is a learned behavior to be a racist and they have yet to learn the rich history of Black people.

What bothers me the most, is that history is based upon European and American history and if that is all you are learning, you will not understand the richness of Blacks. You will not understand why Black Lives Matter until you understand our history and language. Growing up as a kid, I was raised to read several black books such as: Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, written by himself, Rosa Parks, My Story, written by herself, or Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community, written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and this is just to name a few. However, what is taught in schools are books such as Killing of a Mockingbird which has racial slurs still present. Addressing racial slurs in textbooks and required readings is critically important. Teachers should be able to contextually explain what occurred historically during the time period in which the stories were written. There must be an emphasis on why African Americans were portrayed in this way and that the use of this language is inappropriate. We, as a community, need to continually stress the importance of not using racial slurs. If all you hear is the negativity toward Blacks, you would not understand why Black Lives Matters and why black history is important. Quite frankly, Black history has vanished being taught in school and can no longer be left untaught. We need to assure schools are reviewing the history curriculum to include year round black history topics. Our kids deserve to learn that Sarah Rector was the richest black girl in the world in 1902. They should be taught how in the early 1900, segregation grew a black entrepreneurial mecca that would be called “ Black Wall Street'' until 1921 when race riots destroyed it. Most of us have yet to learn the I Have a Dream Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, Juneteenth should be understood that on June 19th, 1865 slaves were freed in Texas and on December 6, 1865 , slavery was abolished entirely in all of the United States but unfortunately it isn’t learned in school as well.

The reason why I bring this up is I heard a white lady say “I didn’t know what that was.” My eyes got big and I was in shock, however, I had to come to realize that this is not a part of history that is learned in some households -- so why would I expect her to know?

As of now, we are divided in Greece but my hope is that after today, you will be able to recognize and understand what we have been through and still going through as Black people in America. From the words of Malcolm X: We are not fighting for integration, nor are we fighting for separation. We are fighting for recognition as human beings...In fact, we are actually fighting for rights that are even greater than civil rights and that is---human rights.

Dina Johnson Rochester, New York

(from the Black Families Rally in Greece, NY on June 20th, 2020)

About the MCFC

Monroe County Family Coalition, Inc. (MCFC) is a nonprofit organization formed by a group of Monroe County parents, teachers, and counselors, in the wake of the Black Families Matter rally held on June 20, 2020, in the Town of Greece. Members came together with a vision to create opportunities for youth and families, bring about change, and bridge inequality gaps in the community.

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The Mission of the MCFC

To connect local families to community resources and bridge the gap between local government and partnering agencies and at-risk youth and families. To create safe places for a courageous dialog between various entities within the community that addresses diverse contentious matters.

Vision:

Creating opportunities for families to bring about change and bridge inequality gaps in the community.

Core values:

1. To serve the community with integrity.
2. To be committed to dependability.
3. To consistently explore innovative ways to advocate on behalf of families

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As we celebrate this new American holiday, let us take a stand against racism, educate ourselves on racial justice issues, and actively support organizations that work to eradicate racism in our community. Wishing You and Your Family Happy Juneteenth Day!

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One Day at a Time… We can make a difference. Acceptance, humility, patience and understanding. These ideals will bring about change for ourselves and our relationships. And in time . . . To the world!