If you are Black in the United States, this month is about celebrating your heritage and the remarkable people before you that made great strides in making equality a possibility in American society for Black people.
Of course, it’s no challenge to be proud of your heritage because there are so many people that you can look up to in just about any field. Nevertheless, we’re going to give you 4 reasons you should be proud of your Black heritage in an attempt to help you think about some people and their courage that you may not have thought about before.
1. Exceptional Leaders
One of the first reasons why you should be proud is that there have been so many exceptional Black leaders throughout history. Some notable names include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Michelle Obama, Malcolm X, Nina Simone, and many more. Of course, there are also black leaders outside of the US, such as Nelson Mandela. Whether they were American or not is irrelevant—what they did for their people is so much more important.
2. Some of the Best Writers Who Ever Lived
There have been exceptional Black writers in the past century alone who revolutionized the literary world with their expertise and heart. Some notable names include James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Langston Hughes, Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, and Maya Angelou. Many of these writers helped provide insight into the African American experience, which also served as a means for highlighting struggles, celebrating differences, and simply moving toward a more accepting and aware society.
3. Fantastic Artists
One of the less popular reasons you should be proud of your Black heritage is that there have been so many brilliant artists in the past few centuries. In music alone, there are so many names that revolutionized western music. Think about Jimi Hendrix. The man was responsible for pioneering a new style of electric guitar playing. In addition to that, Jean Michel Basquiat was a Neo-Expressionist artist who received international acclaim for his provocative and unmistakable style.
4. Outstanding Inventors and Experts in Science and Technology
You’ll be surprised to learn just how many black inventors there were in the past that created inventions that were patented. Some designs were revolutionary are still used in some form in various modern designs. You can find details about these exceptional individuals and the stories in a book recently published by a Black author, Philip Franklin. The book is Titled The African American Inventor Package.
Last Few Words
While we have offered 4 reasons you should be proud of your Black heritage, you simply have to look around you to see some amazing people from your community. Despite the struggles, countless Black people have made a name for themselves in the history books while furthering their community. So, you can be both proud of that and take inspiration from it to follow in their footsteps.
Buy the book African American Inventor Package to learn about the unsung black inventors in history.