Studies say Africans and African Americans have contributed immensely to America and the world. Mother Africa is the cradle of civilization, from which all mankind sprang-- where music, art, genius and invention started. The first brain surgery was done by Black men, Africans in Africa, and the first open heart surgery in America was done by a Black man, an African American.
Africa was once filled with flourishing village societies, often ruled by the people democratically, and with great Kingdoms and Empires, with Royalty-- Kings, Queens and Black Pharaohs in Egypt, and with beauty, learning, and splendor, it's been written-- before massive environmental changes, war, invading/plundering hoards, theft and colonialism, all but destroyed it-- over time-- and its vast, rich resources robbed, extracted and used to build up other nations.
Africa's gold built Europe's economic currency foundation-- like the slaves in the slave trade built America. Black slaves built America's economic foundation, both in the south and north, through agriculture, labor, and invention. They brought over medical and inoculation techniques, planting and building techniques, and foods that became American staples.
They created art, song, and music that IS the foundation of American popular music-- with blues and jazz being America's first original national folk music, created on American soil, along with a different version of gospel music, and expression of soul, revered and copied around the world.
The Beatles, Elvis and many others around the world-- have claimed their music was inspired from and based on Black music, and the Black gospel/church. African musical instruments and rhythms are also the foundation of Latin music and American "Salsa".
Blacks innovated, created new art forms and infused style, originality, ingenuity, wisdom, language, dance, literature, poetry, oratory and other genius , into British influenced early American culture, that became American culture-- "Americana", and along with immigrants, evolved America's language vocabulary, used by Americans from slavery to present day.
Black innovation in clothing/fashion, hair, Rap & Hip-hop, has also been copied-- in Asia & around the world. Black invention revolutionized many industries-- like the computer chip of today-- and yesteryear-- a device that made mass production of our shoes possible!
Slaves built American structures, roads, mansions and the original White House -- and laid out streets-- including in Washington D.C. Later, a Black man invented the first American traffic signal. Both free Blacks and ex-slaves helped build and tame, the wild west-- as adventuring trail blazers who opened up passes, to pioneers, cowboys, business owners, farmers and ranchers, lawmen & as brave Black Buffalo soldiers, who made it possible for White settlers to get through. Blacks also lived with and married Native Americans.
Blacks helped build the railroad system, invented the refrigeration system, light bulb-- though Edison got all the credit-- and a telephone-- said to be superior to Alexander Graham Bell's. Thousands of inventions by African Americans flooded the U.S. Patent office-- after slavery. Many, we use everyday, have made our lives easier, or have saved American lives-- and lives around the world, like the gas mask and blood plasma bank/transfusion, during WW2.
African Americans bravely fought and died in all wars defending America-- being mistreated by the military and on their return home. Many Blacks heroically saved comrades-- as pilots like the Tuskegee Airmen, and soldiers, shipmates and Medics, with bullets whizzing by.
Many were denied due valor Medals. Blacks have been instrumental in winning battles-- in both modern day and early wars. George Washington-- and Teddy Roosevelt at San Juan Hill-- both raved about Black men's extraordinary valor, helping to be victorious.
Black troops also helped liberate the Jews from concentration camps near the end of WW2. Patriotic African Americans also helped at home, and with the USO. Excelling in most all sports-- Blacks made America proud, winning repeatedly as International Olympic Champions.
Blacks have made important innovations, inventions and great contribution to science, medicine, education and space programs. Today there are many Black Astronauts that we rarely hear about. A few of them are female.
Black tradition was helping others-- giving charity--even when they had little-- taking in the unfortunate, and other people's children. Feeding people was a tradition and pleasure, and big meals, a celebration with family and guests.
Blacks were church/God/family/community centered, starting organizations to help their fellow man. African American culture respects elders and parents-- and reveres mothers, and chastises and teaches children respect.
Black culture is welcoming, giving and joyous by nature-- with a love for laughter, life, music & peace-- but often changed in reaction to how people were treated.
Blacks are a strong, creative, spiritual people, with a strong "truth" and fairness ethic-- it's ironic, that authorities in their lives, haven't always been truthful and fair with them. It is also ironic, that a "family oriented" people's beloved families-- were destroyed as they hit American soil in the slave trade-- and that they have had an uphill battle ever since-- to keep family together-- through the decades of barbaric and socioeconomic racism that followed.
It was always the Black male that was targeted-- taken-- and the Black female forced to be strong.
Black people were in America before the Mayflower, and there is evidence, even before Columbus-- and were revered by indigenous peoples. Black people have been in America for over 400 years-- so Blacks are MORE AMERICAN than the immigrants that followed.. And it was a Black man that heroically took the first bullet that began the war of America's Independence from England!
There were many heroic slave revolts as Black people slaved for no compensation for over 200 years in building America, while others were paid for their contribution. After slavery, many Blacks in the south were cheated again--in share cropping schemes that kept them in bondage legally, working, helping land owners fill their coffers while they received little to no money-- and ex-slaves never got their promised "40 acres and a mule"-- to start a free new life.
Like Native Americans, Blacks were often lied to, tricked, cheated, robbed and denied-- on their way to trying to make a life for themselves and their families.
Blacks have worked hard-- for centuries-- built, shaped, gave, helped, sacrificed, fought, died for, loved, supported, saved lives, invented, contributed-- touched all parts of American life, and the world-- often under horrendous, thankless, inhumane conditions-- YET have NOT been given the proper respect, acknowledgement and regard they deserve-- too busy struggling with racism and socioeconomic battles, to fight for proper recognition-- of their vital historical contribution-- and deserved reparation for their holocaust of slavery, Jim Crow, hate groups, segregation and institutionalized racism-- while America gave billions to other countries, for less.
What other group has given so much-- while being beaten down?
And still survive-- still contribute-- STILL RISE?
Due to a pervasive white supremacy tradition in America-- and attempts to block the ex-slave acceptance into society-- Black contribution tended to get ignored, stolen, discredited or credited to Whites-- in their reporting, documentation, history books, mainstream and school textbooks-- as common practice.
But there is enough documented evidence to prove the TRUTH. Black American towns once flourished, dotting the country, primarily due to forced segregation. The first Black colleges and Universities sprang up, due to the same fact. African Americans created their own educated middle class-- supported their own Doctors, professionals and policed themselves.
Many Black towns were burned down by angry, rioting Whites---- who resented them, while other Black towns reached their own demise, with the oncoming of integration. Today, there are few original Black towns left-- with Eatonville in Florida, being the oldest remaining one.
America has had a lot of growing pains-- each immigrant group and racial minority, especially Blacks, have born the brunt of the pain, along with, of course, Native Americans. Now we have a chance to CHANGE-- cut away ignorance, hate & unfair negative stereotypes, by uncovering and promoting the GOOD of a well meaning people, who built this country, but were left out of the credit, positive imagery & discourse.
Let's change perception-- replace decades of lies, omission, misconception, and American ingratitude-- with TRUTH. Knowledge and truth = power and enlightenment. We can all help-- by respecting a great people, who have endured and given tremendously-- by understanding the truth-- and by spreading the word-- that Hero Is The New Black!
-- TP
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