STAYING TRUE

For Ukraine

Each Friday as I press the link to publish Postcards in the Air, I am reminded of the day in 2014 when I first published a post every Friday. When I started writing, I mostly wrote to understand myself and was surprised when I accumulated followers. My point in writing was to show how my choices in creating art affected the rest of my life and to understand that do-overs can be learning experiences. I hoped to show that not everything I do worked well, but there is something to be gained from working through problems. (And also something to learn from starting fresh.) I usually avoid political questions since I know other writers who express their opinions far better than I do. Sometimes, my rage creeps in when a national or worldwide event can't be ignored. Yet, I tell myself each week that my Friday blog is a place for people to rest, pause from stress, and take a moment to think of something outside of their own lives. Today I am celebrating my eleventh year of writing and I hope I have succeeded in my endeavors.

I am also a student of history and have gained much from the Federal declarations of history and heritage months for the diverse groups in our country. Though recognition of these groups began before 1976, Gerald Ford was the first to declare February as Black History Month. The list for History Months grew from there to include Women's History, Gay Pride, Asian Pacific and Hispanic-Latino Heritage, Disability Awareness Months, and more. Because of these designated months, I discovered people and events I had never read about, but who should be honored for their contributions to make our country a better place.

Without these months, would we know about the achievements of Shirley Chisholm, Jane Bolin, Bessie Colman, Gordan Parks, or Jackie Robinson? Would we know the names of Native Americans such as poet Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, veteran Dan Akee, and astronaut John Herrington? Would we begin to let the Holocaust recede into history? Would Cesar Chavez, Casilda Luna, or Judy Baca be recognized for their achievements? Would we know LBGTQ Brenda Howard, Alvin Ailey, Jane Addams, or Edith Windsor? There is a space in our history books for the stories of diverse groups including Arab Americans and Asian-Pacific Americans. Are we so small in our thinking that only the actions of White men are considered to be worth remembering?

This week I plan to read about some of these people and events. I think reading about their struggles and achievements will remind me of what is possible in the United States and will restore my hope in our country. Join me.

I hope you will take the time to look through these stories on the various websites here. Please note that you will find people who belong on several of these lists. Isn't that what America is all about?

Check out this website for more information about both history and heritage months:

https://www.diversitycentral.com/calendar/heritagemonthguide.php

February is Black History Month as designated by the White House on January 31, 2025:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/01/national-black-history-month-2025/

Check out history programs at PBS:

https://www.pbs.org/shows/?search=&genre=history&source=all-sources&sortBy=popular

Check out these Hispanic women and their stories:

https://latino.si.edu/25-latinas-you-should-know

List of famous modern Native Americans:

https://www.countryliving.com/life/inspirational-stories/g45710442/famous-native-americans/

Check out the stories about AAPI:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/aapiheritage/people.htm

A list of Jewish Americans and their stories:

https://www.ajc.org/news/amazing-jewish-americans

Check out this story about the disability rights movement:

https://set-works.com/7-women-who-shaped-the-disability-rights-movement/

Check out the stories of Arab Americans here:

https://www.facinghistory.org/ideas-week/honoring-arab-american-heritage-stories-changemakers