When we live in the Caribbean we have daily reminders of our black history. When we live in Northern America, we are not as privileged in this regard. For Northern American children who have not been exposed to keynote speeches by scholars on the contributions of blacks to creating today’s America, or who have not heard stories from family members, or sermons from pastors or any other segment of the Northern American society, the saving grace to knowing about the history of black people rests in the recognition of the month of February as “Black History Month.”
Children of the Caribbean Foundation honors black history, not just in February but every month of the year. We cherish the work of our fathers and our forefathers for that is the foundation on which we are built. We honor the work of black leaders across the world for forging the path for our current success. But most importantly, today we challenge our black children to take up the mantra and rise to all occasions, being the best that they could be as they create tomorrow’s history, ever mindful of the fact that the purpose of any obstacle that might be in their path, is to calculate how to get over it and NOT turn back, nor be stopped, but to keep on going!
Rosie Hodge-Adams