©Last week I broke with my 4th of July routine and took a much needed getaway to Houston. Although I have only been there a handful of times, each visit, including this one, leaves me looking forward to the next. Now what I will say is that I can do without all of the humidity but aside from that I have absolutely no complaints. I am pretty sure humidity is and probably will always be one of the calling cards of our nation’s 4th largest city. But as quiet as it is kept, Houston has another calling card. It is home to one of the finest museum districts in the country. The Houston museum district rivals and in some eyes, surpasses that of more high profile cities like New York, Chicago or San Francisco. They do this by offering a mix of history, art and technology that can only be described as exceptional…to say the least. I spent an entire day there wandering through floor after floor of captivating, priceless pieces from all over the world. From ancient Egyptian exhibits to incredible work by some of the greatest talents our world has ever known and may ever know. But without question, the most moving portion of my day, the most compelling stop of the day if you will…was my visit to the Jewish Holocaust Museum. From the time I walked in until the time I walked out I, just like everyone else there that afternoon, was taken by the way the history of this horrific episode was painstakingly displayed. The museum tells the story of how over 6 million innocent Jewish brothers and sisters were murdered under the oppressive German regime and at every turn it simply takes your breath away. As I came to the end, I took a seat, gathered myself and reflected on all that I had just seen before moving on to the next stop, the one that I was most looking forward to; The African American Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations but I was able to sneak a peek and what I saw in that museum…paled in comparison to what I had just witnessed in the other. As I walked back to my car I thought how that could be the case…not just in Houston, but everywhere. True enough 6 million Jews tragically perished during the Jewish Holocaust. But historians estimate that if you were to remove all of the water from the Atlantic Ocean you would find the skeletal remains…of 600 million…600 million Africans that perished during the dreaded Middle Passage; not to mention those Kings and Queens that were lost once the journey was complete. I respectfully wondered why the story of the African Holocaust has over the course of time been given…so little attention. I wondered why the aforementioned Middle Passage; that dreaded 8-12 week cruise of misery only receives a passing mention in most of our public schools. I remember people criticizing the movie “Beloved”; Oprah Winfrey’s cinematic attempt to bring to life the story written by Toni Morrison. I wonder if those same people would have been so quick to criticize it if they had been educated enough to know that the book and movie were both based in large part on a true story…I wonder why no one ever celebrates Crispus Attucks…the first person killed during The Revolutionary War that freed America from British rule. I wonder how many people know he was a Black man. Why no one ever commemorates Cinque; the leader of the insurrection aboard the slave ship La Amistad or Jemmy the leader of The Stono Rebellion of 1739. Why no one ever marvels at how Nat Turner was able to share intimate details with his mother about her childhood…even though he was nearly two decades from being conceived. Hopefully the world will begin to recognize these and so many others and give them the proper respect that they are due because they own a sacred place not just in African or African American History but in world history. But until then, no matter what race or creed, location or party affiliation you may be or have…take it upon yourself to learn about The African Holocaust. It is a most triumphant testimony of the indomitable human spirit. It’s also the greatest story…that’s never been told…
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 19:07:13 +0000