Making history
By Brandon Astor Jones
For the edification of Australian readers, I should note here that each year the month of February is designated for recognising the accomplishments and contributions that African-Americans have made in US society. In my opinion, "Black History Month", as it is called, simply is too short. So I've taken it upon myself to extend it.
If I had my way, the following list would be much longer. Indeed, it would be endless but, of course, time and space do not permit. Therefore, I say to the millions of deserving sisters and brothers, past and present, who are not mentioned here, all of your names are written in love and blood upon the eternal pages of history's passage: I salute you.
I mean no disrespect to the greatness of deeds and accomplishments past, but rather, I simply want to celebrate and acknowledge the equally important but understated contributions of our sisters and brothers today who, I think, get too little celebration and acknowledgment.
So, I hereby, praise and thank:
Editors Carole R. Simmons and Alison Allen of the Atlanta Tribune's "Black on Black" pages, for having the courage and presence of mind to publicly declare what too many others only dare to whisper in private about the state of African America.
Pearl Cleage, for writing and producing plays that gave my heart wings when visiting friends described how they were so entertained that they were glued to their front row seats in awe of the sheer power of her creations.
Creed W. Pannell, the publisher in Atlanta who, in this " lock 'em up and forget 'em" age, remembers that prisoners are human beings before, during and after prison.
Jerome Taylor, my son-in-law, for being a strong father, providing for my grandchildren and for being a good husband to my daughter.
Washington Post columnist Donna Britt, for writing a Saint Valentine's Day salute to African-American men — so genuine and personal that when I read it I felt she had written it expressly for me.
To the faceless brother's needle-scarred and weathered black hand that stealthily appeared beneath my cell's door at the Cobb County Jail, containing several twists of toilet paper just moments after a group of redneck jailers had ordered me to "use your (expletive) finger!"
The poet Nikki Giovanni, that magnificent sister whose vernacular musings can conjure up the entire city of Chicago and transform my six by eight by eight foot prison cell into a street upon which I freely cry and/or sing; and, she still looks good after all these years.
Ralph Johnson, editor of Teaneck, New Jersey's Connection News, for not being just another black lackey regarding the death while in custody of young Phillip Pannell.
And last, but certainly not least, Latrena Frazier, that wonderful young sister whose love and compassion for her brothers and sisters in prison inspires her to go beyond the usual hypocritical rhetoric to actually befriending and visiting some of us who have been sentenced to death in Georgia's electric chair.
All these, and many more, African-Americans deserve our celebrating tributes, salutes and recognition. They, are, indeed, Black history in its most poignant form: in the making. Thank you very much!
[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He is happy to receive letters commenting on his columns. He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G2-51, GD&CC, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA.]