My Adventures While In Italy: Entry 11
Ciao! I would like to welcome everybody once again to the eleventh edition of, “My Adventures While In Italy” here on Bobby’s World at yardbarker.com. I’m going to keep my introduction short, so why don’t we just hop right into it. January has been a very disappointing month for my team. We had been unsuccessful when given great chances to take the next step in our season. Our team just hasn’t been able to win close and meaningful games that we needed, hopefully the month of February will bring better luck. For instance we had not one, or two, but three chances to win just one single game in pool play for eurocup. By not winning this one single game, we didn’t advance out of our pool and to the playoffs. So now were back to having one game a week, that’s something I’m not looking forward too. But our striking out didn’t stop there.
I’m still learning the ropes and finding out certain traditions that go on around here in Italy. So there’s this thing called, “The Italian Cup” (for the Italy league) which is a three-day playoff that represents the half waypoint for the league, top 8 teams play in it. Well once again we were in the same position like the eurocup ordeal. If we would have won the last game (which was at home) before the cut off date to determine the teams we would have qualified for the “Italian Cup”, but we didn’t. Here’s the thing, it’s one thing to be on a bad team and know it. On the other hand, when the team is good but isn’t reaching their potential on a consistent basis that is nerve racking. On a good note, we did win or last game, so were back into the eighth spot. There is only 1 game now separates us from jumping all the way up to third spot, so were still right there with all the bad luck we have had so far. Here’s a video of me with the game-winning dunk that I made over two dudes in the remaining seconds of the match.
I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It
If you haven’t noticed it’s February already, which means its “Black History Month”. I come to recognize and appreciate my black heritage all year in my everyday life. Given the magnitude to promote black history in this particular month, I’m going to my part but with a twist of course. Did you know the celebration of BHM originated in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson as "Negro History Week"? He decided on the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Woodson thought these two Americans greatly influenced the lives and social condition for African Americans. In the future, if you ever hear somebody say (I know I heard it sometimes growing up), ”Why is BHM celebrated in February?” You now know the real reason it’s in February and not because it the shortest month of the year.
For the most part, we use this month to celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans in every field from:
Inventions, Heroes
Scholars, Infamous Firsts
Authors, Politics
Entertainers, Scientists
Poets, Important Cities
Activist, Athletes
Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement
So let me ask a very simple question. What does black history month “really” mean to you? I know as a kid my answer would have been entirely different compared to the one I would give today; it should change for good enough reasons. When I was younger I would of probably something like this: BHM means having an assembly at school, putting up posters of important black people in history on the classroom wall (some of my teachers left them up year round), teachers spending some time teaching us about famous blacks from the past and present, watch some documentary’s on PBS in class. For a kid in elementary school, I would think that would be good enough exposure I guess, you don’t want to throw too much at them all at once. I remember when I first watched Roots; I was like seven or eight years old. I was really mad at white people for like the next two days, I never seen of even imagined harsh treatment of black people before that when dealing with the past.
Regardless of what background you came from to arrive in America, it’s vital you understand how the groundwork of America was brought about. We were merely taught only a portion of what we need to know. Millions of Africans ended up in America only because they were kidnapped to fill the needs of a slave economy there and that’s it. For almost 250 years blacks were tortured, enslaved, deprived of educational opportunities, dehumanized, killed and raped for no reason. My ancestors became American by requirement not by choice. BHM also sparks an annual debate about the continued helpfulness and equality of an elected month dedicated to the history of one race. Some argue that BHM is irrelevant because it is a superficial habit now, to some degree I agree with that statement. BHM is a ritual now; the amount of effort people put into the month isn’t the same like maybe it once was. My predecessor’s deserves more than month of importance in the year 2010. To make sure that generations (of all races) in the future will truly understand the significance and meaning of black history and why everything is the way it is today in America.
With all the great intentions Carter G. Woodson had for “Negro History Week” his real purpose was to try and spark a change in American culture and bring black history to the forefront in American history. With time, most people realized that and it from a week into a month, which was progress in the right direction at that time. I’m hoping Americans do not accept (or maybe don’t see the next possible solution that is required) a month as good enough any longer; it is time for the next step. The only clear-cut answer I can come up with is to make it more relevant in every child’s school curriculum. I truly believe required courses should be implemented from sixth grade all the way until completion of high school. I say this because until I went to college (we all know everybody doesn’t want or can’t go to college) and took some classes with the focus on African American studies. I really got an in depth insight on certain matters I didn’t before, it changed my thought process for the good. I know everybody else in America can benefit as well. I was lucky enough to get that knowledge for free; others people had to pay (that’s if they decide to take the class at that) to receive it. The things I learned from those college classes can be taught in middle and high school as, the sooner the better.
I will never entirely realize the struggles my ancestors went through. Since future generations will be even farther apart from those actual events than I am today, the only way we will be able to open their minds and constantly remind them is make black history a priority in school education, a month isn't enough. Black history is just as important as knowing who the first president of the United States is or knowing the Constitution. Check out Morgan Freeman and see how he feels about BHM.
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