There is no truer statement than that of our youth being our investment in the future. Their young, malleable, impressionable minds absorb sights and sounds. But more importantly, they absorb examples. The everyday actions, behaviors, and beliefs of immediate and extended family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, and associates set these examples. Those actions and beliefs form the foundation of who we are.
Equally important are the influences exerted upon young minds by outside influences such as the myriad of media influences that unfortunately are not always inclusive or accurate regarding the rich heritage and current contributions of our racial and ethnic minorities. Our academic institutions also suffer from inaccuracy, lack of inclusion, and, in numerous instances, total omission.
The foundation of who we are draws initially from those in whose presence we spend the most time. So, consider the time that youth spend in front of the television or movie screens and the heroes depicted on those screens. These are the heroes who exemplify truth, justice, and right! They fight and sometimes die in defense of the downtrodden and defenseless. They “run to the sound of gunfire” in defense of the innocent.
These are the individuals whom youth want to emulate. They capture our youths’ attention, influence their character, and become cornerstones in forming the foundation for their lives. These heroes whose contributions and sacrifices – be they real-life or created specifically for the silver screen – created America as we know it today. These individuals are presented in a positive light and become role models and heroes for our youth pattern their lives.
I support promoting those who exemplify truth, justice, and fairness – those who fight and die to defend the defenseless and the heroes who run to the sound of gunfire to defend the innocent.
My disappointment with American history comes from my formative years – those years when my mind was most malleable and impressionable, those years when I was choosing my heroes from individuals whose actions impressed me to the point that I wanted to be just like them, those heroes depicted on television, in movies, as well as in our history books. Unfortunately, those heroes were overwhelmingly Anglo-Saxon and looked nothing like me.
I believe our youth must have role models that include their race or ethnicity. For an individual to take value in something, they must first feel that they have an investment in that something. If you see no evidence that “people who look like you” have contributed to society, why should you? And why should you expect anything in return when you contribute? Denying the full inclusion of all who add to a better America creates the illusion that those contributions never existed and a denial of a seat at the table of decision-making.
During my formative years, I was denied models of heroes who look like me – the real-life heroes whose contributions and sacrifices were not made known to the general public. Those are the years when our values and personality traits are formed, the mold is cast to create the individual that we will become in later life, and that leave an indelible imprint of who we will become,
I was a thick-lipped, kinky-haired, Black boy from the South, and my heroes were John Wayne, Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger, and at least one real-life hero, Audie Murphy. They were all fine individuals, but none of them looked like me So, in my young mind, I didn’t believe I could be like them.
These were my action heroes, the individuals I wanted to emulate. I was ignorant of – or perhaps I should say, I was never informed of – the existence of powerful Black heroes. There was Bass Reeves, an escaped slave and the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal. Some speculate that the Lone Ranger was based on his life because he, too, rode a big white stallion. There was Nat Love, better known as “Deadwood Dick,” or “Red River Dick,” another former slave and one of the first Black Cowboys. Another great Black, whose fame was hidden from me and the pages of our history books, is Jim Bridger, whose exploits as a mountain man, scout, and Indian fighter never received the publicity afforded to Kit Carson and Jim Bridger.
The same omissions kept me from discovering the contributions and sacrifices of the African American U.S. military heroes who had paved the way for me. It wasn’t until the last year of my twenty-four years of service in the United States Army that I learned of them. I had served twenty of those years in the United States Army Special Forces, became Airborne (paratrooper) and Ranger qualified, and successfully executed hundreds of parachute jumps and earned the black and gold tab of a US Army Range.
Yet it was only the twenty-fourth year that I learned of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the first and only all-Black Parachute Infantry Battalion in the U.S. Army, that served during World War II. It was during this same period that I met members of the 2nd Ranger Company, the first and only all-Black Ranger Company in the U.S. Army and whose members fought in the Korean War.
Have you ever met your heroes? My personal heroes became the Black G.I.s who endured the degradations and humiliations in their quest to rise above the “Ash and Trash” battalions that performed the less than desirable jobs of cleaning, painting, repairing, and maintaining, as opposed to being trained to fight. They persevered and forged a path that allowed me and all Black service members to seek a military career in Special Operations.
I must have had that “deer in the headlight” look as I was greeted by, shook hands with, and broke bread with my heroes at one of the many 555th Parachute Infantry Association reunions. They held my rapt attention as I listened to their “war stories,” which most G.I.s tend to do when in the company of comrades and alcohol. Unfortunately, most now reside in Valhalla (Warrior Heaven) feasting with their fellow warriors from all ages.
To find out more about these unsung African American U.S. Military heroes, see my blog “African American Men of Courage: The Forgotten Heroes.”
Imagine what it would be like for our ethnic and racial minority youth to learn of heroes from American history who looked like them. Imagine the increased self-image, desire to shine, courage to dream big, and love themselves. Imagine the leaders who would confidently emerge when they see these powerful heroes who overcame insurmountable odds. And imagine the benefits for all youth to see the contributions made by all Americans to this great country.
If you would like me to speak to your youth or organization, please contact me at: LeftOutofHistory@gmail.com.