By Reverend S. Morris and Lisa Hollibaugh
SCI Smithfield celebrated Black History Month on Feb. 27 with a program themed "Diversity and Inclusion as it Relates to the Dream." The event began with the singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing", often known as the African American National Anthem, and followed by special music and readings given by several inmate participants. Executive Deputy Secretary Shirley Moore Smeal was the keynote speaker at the event.
Black history recognition began in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson who said, "If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated." He and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History launched a "Negro History Week" to bring attention to this mission and help school systems coordinate their focus topics. Woodson chose the second week of February as it encompassed both Frederick Douglass' birthday on February 14 and Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12. A number of mayors had adopted the celebration as a municipal event. President Gerald Ford decreed Black History Month a national observance in 1976 on both the 50th anniversary of the first iteration and America's bicentennial year. Ford said in his message, "We can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishment of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history." Black History Month held in February then began yearly thereafter nationally.
Moore Smeal delivered her address entitled, "Perseverance Gives Sight to the Things We all Hope For." Perseverance, she said, is being able to wait and work through difficulties whether they have to do with your mind, body or emotions. Perseverance means not giving up no matter what. She said you must have insight and intuition, because everything is relative to sight or the lack thereof, and we must realize that sight is unique to each person's point of view. One must also have hope. Hope is being able to be optimistic with an expectation of positive outcomes. Hope allows you to expect with confidence. She referred to Frederick Douglass, the well-known African American patriarch mentioned earlier, who said, "Without a struggle, there can be no progress."
Moore Smeal pointed out that Douglass was not referring to the struggle created by bad choices, but instead struggling and persevering for what's right. The struggle and pain is real. The need to persevere is real for without it, there can be no progress.
She quoted a well-known civil rights activist and African American poet, Maya Angelou, who suffered tremendous hardships and wrote about her hardships in poems and novels. She became an example of self-determination through perseverance. She spoke on Jackie Robinson, the famous baseball player, who demonstrated the trait of perseverance by not quitting the team despite being faced with racism and discrimination. He realized the struggle was bigger than he was. Robinson went on to accept the challenge and persevered. She cited many more heroes and heroines including Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, The Beatles, Oprah Winfrey and more who at first failed but did not give up and persevered.
Moore Smeal encouraged and challenged the audience with the picture of a little boy and his father. The father says, "Son, be careful where you walk." The son replies, "Dad, you be careful where you walk because I am following in your footsteps." She asked the audience whose footsteps they were following in, if they are being careful where they walk, and if they know who is following in their footsteps. There are 80,000 children who represent the children of incarcerated parents and asked whose footsteps they are following in.
In closing, she told the men that they don't have to let their circumstances define them despite their situations. She told them that they can define their circumstances and have the ability to do so much more than time. She asked the men, "Are you doing time or are you letting time do you?"
One of the program participants read a popular piece entitled "Never Give Up." In the story, a young lad, who was hoping to win a race, slipped and tripped and fell flat on his face. Embarrassed and sad, he wished he could disappear. When on the ground he saw his father's face which said to him, "Get up and win the race." He got up and raced with all his might to bridge the gap but he fell again.
He was embarrassed and disgraced and laid there and thought that he had lost and what is the point in getting up again as he would never win the race.
A low voice echoed inside his head stating, "Get up and take your place. You were not meant to fall. Get up and win the race. You haven't lost at all. For winning is no more than rising each time you fall." He rose once more to complete the race knowing even if he loses, he did not quit. After the race, he said to his dad, "I'm sorry I didn't do too well." His father replied, "To me you won. You rose each time you fell."
A special part of the program was the revealing of a painting done by inmates at Smithfield which depicts Moore Smeal and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg representing justice and Mother Teresa and Malala Yousafzai representing humanitarianism. The painting will be hung and displayed in the education building at SCI Smithfield.
A smaller, framed painting was presented by the inmate population to Moore Smeal of several influential African American leaders such as Malcolm X, Barrack Obama, Frederick Douglas, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
King best summed up the essence of what Black History Month represents when he stated, "We are not makers of our history. We are made by our History."