Black History Month for 2026

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The history of Black citizens in our country has been ignored for decades and I am glad we are seeing more of it.

If you would like to see a very entertaining film about one person’s Black experience I suggest the movie American Fiction. It makes its point with tact and humor.

American Fiction is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cord Jefferson in his feature directorial debut. Based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, it follows a frustrated African-American novelist-professor who writes an outlandish satire of stereotypical "black" books, only for it to be mistaken for serious literature and published to high sales and critical praise.
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Thank you so much for this thread Officer ❣️ I was looking forward to starting a thread on BHM on February 1st, but COVID stepped in and ruined that plan. I'm enjoying reading what's been posted so far. I'll start with Biddy Mason. I was made aware of her because my Honorary Son 3 wrote a play about her after he said "she touched his spirit". He was amazed that Ms. Mason, who was born in 1818, "came to him" and impacted him so strongly. His play was performed via Zoom last week and will be performed live for the second time this Sunday. The play will take place in his church and the actors are from north and southern N.J. as well as New York.

Biddy Mason was born a slave, she faced harsh treatment and impossible tasks, including walking from Mississippi to Utah with a caravan of slaves and their master (and his wife). They later traveled to California where Biddy obtained her freedom. She dedicated her life to service of others, but along the way became a land owner and the first Black millionaire, though Lady CJ Walker has erroneously been labeled as the first.
Biddy owned the land that a famous landmark now sits on.

Her other accomplishments:
~She became a midwife for her community and was known for healing using herbal medicines
~She founded the first African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion church) My family (maternal side) attended AME Zion churches
~Founded a day care center for Black children
~Learned to speak Spanish fluently
~She was widely known for her philanthropy

"Today, she is honored with the Biddy Mason Park in downtown Los Angeles, and her legacy is recognized by the California Social Work Hall of Distinction." Wikipedia

Read more about her fascinating life here: Biddy Mason - Wikipedia


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OneEyedDiva said:
Thank you so much for this thread Officer ❣️ I was looking forward to starting a thread on BHM on February 1st, but COVID stepped in and ruined that plan. I'm enjoying reading what's been posted so far. I'll start with Biddy Mason. I was made aware of her because my Honorary Son 3 wrote a play about her after he said "she touched his spirit". He was amazed that Ms. Mason, who was born in 1818, "came to him" and impacted him so strongly. His play was performed via Zoom last week and will be performed live for the second time this Sunday. The play will take place in his church and the actors are from north and southern N.J. as well as New York.

Biddy Mason was born a slave, she faced harsh treatment and impossible tasks, including walking from Mississippi to Utah with a caravan of slaves and their master (and his wife). They later traveled to California where Biddy obtained her freedom. She dedicated her life to service of others, but along the way became a land owner and the first Black millionaire, though Lady CJ Walker has erroneously been labeled as the first.
Biddy owned the land that a famous landmark now sits on.

Her other accomplishments:
~She became a midwife for her community and was known for healing using herbal medicines
~She founded the first African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion church) My family (maternal side) attended AME Zion churches
~Founded a day care center for Black children
~Learned to speak Spanish fluently
~She was widely known for her philanthropy

"Today, she is honored with the Biddy Mason Park in downtown Los Angeles, and her legacy is recognized by the California Social Work Hall of Distinction." Wikipedia

Read more about her fascinating life here: Biddy Mason - Wikipedia


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You're welcome, Diva and what exciting news about your HS's play! Thanks for sharing! Also, sorry to hear you had Covid; Huzz and I, after avoiding it for so long, came down with it last Fall; no fun at all and I hope you're all better from it soon.
 
This was taken from a post on a Facebook friend's page:
"Woodrow Wilson and many members of his administration resented the respect that Black soldiers received overseas during World War I, particularly in France. While serving in Europe, African American troops—especially those in combat units like the 369th Infantry Regiment (“Harlem Hellfighters”) were treated with far more dignity and equality by the French than they experienced in the United States. French citizens often welcomed them, invited them into their homes, and recognized their military valor.
Wilson’s administration and the U.S. Army’s high command viewed this as a threat to the racial order back home. American military officials even issued propaganda to the French government, warning them not to treat Black soldiers as equals, claiming it would make them “insolent” and harder to “control” upon their return to the U.S.
AI Overview
Yes, the U.S. military administration, reflecting the racial prejudices of the time and the Woodrow Wilson administration, resented the respectful and equal treatment that Black soldiers received from the French populace and military.
This resentment led to official action:
"Secret Information" Memo: In August 1918, the U.S. Army's General Headquarters, under General John J. Pershing, issued a directive to the French Military Mission titled, "Secret Information Concerning Black American Troops".
Discouraging Equality: The memo aimed to persuade the French to adopt American Jim Crow customs and treat Black soldiers as inferiors. It contained racist assertions, stating that Black men were a "constant menace" and "lacked civic and professional conscience".
Specific Orders: The directive explicitly instructed French officers not to eat, shake hands, or socialize with Black officers outside of military necessity to avoid "deeply wounding" white American officers. It also urged the French to avoid "spoiling" Black soldiers with familiarity or praising them too highly in the presence of white Americans.
Fear of Post-War Aspirations: A primary concern was that the relative equality experienced in France would inspire Black Americans to demand similar respect and rights upon their return to the U.S., which white officials found "intolerable".
The French, who had their own colonial troops and were desperate for combat manpower, largely ignored this directive and continued to treat the Black soldiers as comrades, decorating many, including members of the 369th Infantry Regiment ("Harlem Hellfighters"), for their bravery and service. "

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