For the Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.–Psalm 1:6
February 16, 2025 • Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
As I am writing this column, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has just concluded and I am addressing the month of February in which the nation observes National Black History Month. I have always loved history and so I found the following information on the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) website very interesting. I hope that you will take a little time this month to learn a little more about God’s children that come from African descent. As MLK Jr. states, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
“When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. . .For those interested in the study of identity and ideology, an exploration of ASALH’s Black History themes is itself instructive. Over the years, the themes reflect changes in how people of African descent in the United States have viewed themselves, the influence of social movements on racial ideologies, and the aspirations of the Black community.”
“ASALH’s 2019 theme ‘Black Migrations’ emphasizes the movement of people of African descent to new destinations and subsequently to new social realities. While inclusive of earlier centuries, this theme focuses especially on the twentieth century through today. Beginning in the early decades of the twentieth century, African American migration patterns included relocation from southern farms to southern cities; from the South to the Northeast, Midwest, and West; from the Caribbean to US cities as well as to migrant labor farms; and the emigration of noted African Americans to Africa and to European cities, such as Paris and London, after the end of World War I and World War II. Such migrations resulted in a more diverse and stratified interracial and intra-racial urban population amid a changing social milieu.”
https://asalh.org/asalhs-2019-theme-black-migrations/
We are a nation made up of people on the move. Even Native Americans once crossed over from Asia by way of Alaska. We need to recognize the strength that this fact brings us instead of letting overt racism and systemic racism toward the “other” tear us apart. We need to live the biblical way of the just, model ourselves on the Beatitudes, and seek equity for all.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC
Who is Barbara Molinari Quinby? Here is a brief bio.