Looking Back

January is all about the start of a New Year. People look to the future and set goals for the year ahead. But, when February rolls around it’s time to look back and learn from the past in honor of Black History Month. While it’s very important to celebrate such a rich history, it’s also just as important to recognize mistakes there were made and the feats it took to overcome them. One of the best quotes about overcoming obstacles comes from Booker T. Washington:

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.

This quote encompasses my approach to celebrating Black History month. Instead of dwelling on the past and trying to change what happened before, I look at all the obstacles we have overcome as a country. I’m proud to see how far we have come and that we dedicate an entire month to a vital point in our history. Thanks to the Hillside Coalition Of Laborers for Apalachicola there is a month long festival dedicated to celebrating Black History.