Black History Celebration Speech
Speech Presented by Mayor Shorraw at Mt. Calvary Church, Monessen on Feb. 29, 2020.
Sometimes it seems like we’re living in multiple periods of history at once, these days — from Civil Rights to the Cold War and everything in between, our current events range collectively from devastating mass shootings to the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville a few years ago, and the killing of unarmed black men across the country. I often think: ‘Haven’t we as a country fought these things already?’ We have indeed fought these things, but clearly we have a long way to go to live up to our country’s creed that all men (and women) are created equal.
I see so much hope in the current civil rights battles being fought across this country. Grassroots activism has surged across the country, advocating for things like racial equity, fair and livable wages, Gender equality, LGBTQ equality, voting rights, ballot access, the right to clean water and air, and everything in between. We see more women, including women of color running for office in record numbers. It is an exciting time. It’s something that happens once in a generation, and we’re all living in the midst of it.
All of you know that these issues touch all of us locally too. We don’t live in a silo. We have issues here of teen homelessness, bullying, addiction, mental health issues, domestic violence, job and income inequality, and racial inequity right here in Monessen. These issues are not new for us, unfortunately. It is the work that local organizations and many people in this room put into our city and our region, in order to tackle these issues that will make the difference.
In my view, one of the good things that have come out of this chaotic time in our country’s history is that for the first time in a long time, we are faced with openly discussing racial inequalities and issues. These issues aren’t new either — they’ve been ingrained in this country since the first slaves came ashore and were sold in 1619 at Point Comfort, Virginia. This action led us to where we are today. With white nationalism poking its head up, we cannot stay silent. Many inaccurately believe that it is only people of color who must stand up and fight for themselves and their causes. That is inaccurate, because it is also the responsibility of white people and of everyone to stand up when injustices occur, and call out racism, white nationalism, and other injustices for what they are- ugly, vile, inhumane. They have no place in our society.
We must continue to erase the wrongs of the past like redlining, bad decisions from Urban renewal, and the destruction of diverse neighborhoods throughout our communities. We see those remnants in places like Detroit, in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, and even here in Monessen, in our Westgate neighborhood, where, in the ’50s and ’60s a diverse neighborhood, blocks-long was wiped off the map, almost literally, and many of those residents — who were immigrants, people of color, poor, or all of the above were pushed away like cattle. We still need to right these wrongs.
Some people think that we should not have a black history month because there is no white history month; but the fact of the matter is, that people of color have been and continue to contribute to the progress of society and the progress of this city and this region since the start. And — those same people, in many cases have gone unnoticed, or have not gotten due credit for their contributions.
People like Shirley Chisholm, the Reverend Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and President Obama all familiar names could not have helped change the narrative of the country without the work of local and grassroots organizations — the work of People who love their communities and love our country. There are so many people of color who paved the way in this country — not only for other people of color but also for white people who were marginalized in many ways, at the time, such as women. Without Sarah Mae Fleming in Columbia, South Carolina; there may not have been a Rosa Parks in Montgomery. Without a Jane Bolin, the country’s first black female judge, there may not have been a Thurgood Marshall, or even a Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, for that matter. Without a Bessie Coleman, there may not have been a Guion Bluford or a Mae Jemison. You get my point, I’m sure — that everyone, no matter their race or beliefs, their background, or their field of study — everyone stands on the shoulders of those who came before them, and that’s something we’ve got to remember, while we change the world today in our small ways.
We are more knowledgeable now, to be able to do this. The momentum is here, and we must remember the familiar notion, that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice — and that doesn’t mean that the arc is neat and tidy — it usually zigzags a bit, but eventually it catches up — every small win adds to the progress of our country and the ideal that we all strive for — and that ideal for us is, that we put in this work: in order to form a more perfect union.
God Bless You All.
