Black & Beautiful | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Black & Beautiful

I’m black and beautiful!

87
Black & Beautiful
http://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/black-is-beautiful-tee.png

The footprints of our culture continue to cross boundaries, brought here from Africa and placed into slavery. In 1619, the first African slaves arrived in Virginia. Many years of racism, segregation, and hatred followed. The whips on our back, the cries on our lips. Black women raped and the men often killed. Children separated from their families and sold off like cattle; these are the things that are ingrained in our history.

The victories did come and are as followed: Nat Turner, an enslaved African-American preacher, lead the most significant slave uprising in American history in 1831. On July 2, 1839, 53 African slaves on board the slave ship the Amistad revolted against their captors, killing all but the ship's navigator, who sailed them to Long Island, N.Y., instead of their intended destination, Africa.

In 1849, Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery and becomes one of the most effective and celebrated leaders of the Underground Railroad. In 1870, Blacks were given the right to vote. In 1909, the NAACP was born. In 1955, Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat at the front of the "colored section" and in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that one day we will not be judged by the color of our skin, but the content of our character. In 2001, Colin Powell becomes the first African American U.S. Secretary of State and in 2005, Condoleezza Rice becomes the first Black female U.S. Secretary of State. Barack Obama was the first Black president to serve office. Our Black history is one to be celebrated, a symbol of independence and resistance against oppression.

Stokley Carmichael reminds us that even though our noses are broad and our lips thick, we are Black and beautiful. Martin Luther King Jr said that “Somebody told a lie one day. They couched it in language. They made everything black ugly and evil. Look in your dictionary and see the synonyms of the word “black”. It’s always something degrading, low and sinister. Look at the word “white”. It’s always something pure, high, clean. Well, I wanna get the language right tonight. I wanna get the language so right that everybody here will cry out “Yes I’m black! I’m proud of it! I’m black and beautiful!”

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

183996
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

10489
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

454752
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

24640
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments