Black History Month by Me
Okay, guys, I missed February 1st. But they say don’t sacrifice the good-enough to the perfect. This year, 2025, as the Federal government works tirelessly to pretend no merit resides in anyone but straight white males, I will during Black History Month blog on how extraordinary Black Americans have impacted my personal history. Short posts, y’all.
We’re starting way back, because American history goes way back. My first Mississippi ancestors on my father’s side had a peach farm. The reason they had a peach farm was due to Black Americans. Julia Stiles came from the area of Virginia that is now DC. She “inherited” thirty-five people from her dad. When she and the not-yet-peach-farmer migrated to Mississippi, she brought these folks with her. They, in turn, brought with them in their pockets peach pits and other fruit seeds from Virginia.
These Black Americans cultivated the peaches. The Peach Farmer did nothing with the peaches until he discovered he could make a profit selling them. Then he relied on the skill, knowledge, and talent of the Black Americans to create the largest fruit farm in the Southeast.
If I knew their names, I would share them with you. I’m working on it. Even though their names are not known to me, I know Black Americans contributed to the foundation of what my paternal family came to be.
Black History Month as told by me, a beneficiary of that history.
(From here forward, I’m not going to routinely send these posts by email, only the links. From time to time, I’ll send one in full. Otherwise, you can follow the link to the blog and read them here. I don’t want to clog up your inbox.)
What in your own history have extraordinary Black Americans shaped?
Black American History, Black History Month, Black History Month 2025
Joe Hawes
I like this idea b/c it is a form of resistance to the racist and sexist policies ciming out of the Trump WhitecHouse
Ellen Morris Prewitt
TY, Joe. I did this one? two? times before, but it did seem needed now.
Julia coggins
Edna Hamilton practically raised me. I loved her guts.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Julia, hi! Good to hear from you! What a nice memory. ☺️
Marie A Bailey
Good for you. I saw the other day in social media, a list of “code” words for Black, e.g., woke=Black. At the end of the list, DEI=Black. Nobody is fooled except those who want to be. Anyway, carry on with your stories celebrating Black Americans. The more, the better!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Yes, we’ve watched it shift from affirmative action to woke to CRT to DEI. Code words for what people were once too ashamed to say out loud. Thank you for your encouragement.
Joanne Corey
Thank you for observing Black History Month with these blog posts, Ellen. I’m late to the party and not able to join in this year. Too much health stuff going on…
Ellen Morris Prewitt
You are joining the party by reading and commenting–thank you!