Nestled in every nook and cranny within my eclectic home, one will find a vast amount of “souvenirs.” Essentially, these “collectibles” are my pride and joy as it is representative of the many fond memories reflecting my world-wide travels which spans nearly six decades of my life and living.
As a black historian, aficionado, and consummate educator, my collection also meticulously documents woeful omissions regarding the black race and proudly educates the illiterate and misinformed about our vast culture, our rich heritage, our painful struggles, our beloved institutions, our prolific leaders, our innumerous injustices, our underreported milestones, and our unreported successes.
In other words, my home is a “learning laboratory” programmed to debunk erroneous lies, exaggerated myths, negative depictions, egregious stereotypes, and invariably fuzzy facts that for centuries has intentionally and premeditatedly failed to rightfully honor blacks’ positive connections to the world and American history.
Therefore, accompanying each book, artifacts, articles, magazines, posters, cards, memorabilia, pictures, post cards, tapes, recordings, movies, records, baskets, masks, statures, figurines, paintings, whatnots, and paraphernalia, like an African goddess holding court, I lovingly describe in minute and fascinating detail tons of historical tidbits about every single memento.
Bottom-line, there is no shame to my game. I enjoy, as well as, relish “shouting to the rafters” about the historical significances, accomplishments, achievements, and contributions on and about black folks!
“Knowledge is power!”
As a result, visitors to the Giggetts’ household should expect to spend hours and hours at my home. Upon arrival, each guest is royally honored and treated like kings and queens. Then, after the delectable food has been consumed to the satisfaction of the invited guests’ palate, all conversations are strategically “orchestrated” by me with the intent to bolster, increase, advance, and deepen the awareness and appreciation for our black heritage and culture.
“Education is indispensible!”
So, in essence, visitors are tactically doused with a “rapid fire” tour of my home where they are introduced to each “souvenir.” This educational “show and tell” is expertly designed to instill a lifelong enthusiasm for black history by hopefully furthering and cultivating within each guest a continued interest, intellectual curiosity, appetite, appreciation, pride, literacy, and thirst for and about the black experience.
“Association brings assimilation.”
Undoubtedly, my ardent desire and quest is to ultimately transfer, mold, shape, develop, and implant into my guests’ minds and spirits an uplifted black consciousness, in addition to, authenticating nourishing views as it pertains to the “souvenirs” that our ancestors left behind which should serve as a kaleidoscope, a testimonial, a visible reminder, and a guidepost for future generations regarding the factual merits of our distinguished and laudatory history.
Meanwhile….
Recently, had the most unpleasant opportunity to witness this generation’s “souvenirs.” By request, served as a substitute teacher and to my utter amazement, I was horrified to experience such barbaric behavior and conduct emanating from “savages” who were school-age kids ranging from fifth grade to twelfth!
Painfully, was appalled to think that the “savages” that I encountered constituted a commemorative remembrance, a reflection, and a historical memorial of the whips, the chains, the lynchings, and the bullets that our ancestors endured so that this current generation could become ignorant nitwits, dysfunctional ingrates, and degenerate hooligans.
Lordy!
Invisible tears cascaded down my face as I heard black youth loudly and proudly desecrating the memories of our forefathers and foremothers by calling one another the n-word followed by foul, vulgar, obscene language and slurs unsuitable for children, pre-teens, and teenagers. Yet, only a smidgen of them could conjugate their verbs!
Bought bags and bags of throat lozenges to soothe the hoarseness of my throat as each day was spent screaming, yelling, and hollering at these rebellious and defiant kids—-all to no avail. Strongly recommend that each student arrives to school medically sedated or in a medically-induced coma. Otherwise, no semblance of learning will ever take place in the asylum called classroom!
Pitiful!
Propose that each classroom is supplied with a police officer who is also equipped with an AK-47. These street-wise kids are aware that teaching is a female-dominated occupation thus women are physically unable to “tackle” these gargantuan jerks who are larger than rhinoceros. Bullets will calm man, child, or beast.
Underachievement is a “badge” of honor and a rite of passage within the black neighborhoods. Hence, education should be a privilege and not a constitutional right. Prior to admission, delinquent kids need to demonstrate some type of “educational fitness” and those viewed as uneducable and as behavioral and attitudinal misfits should be banned from school—-period!
Regrettably, I hit an “emotional low” because the basket of exhibits that I had proudly taken each day to school as an illustration to black kids that they can overcome the “underachievement syndrome” that is prevalent within our community was rebuffed.
My goal of provoking a positive impact and invoking inspiration and motivation, as well as, demonstrating the brilliance emanating from scores of black people who overcame insurmountable odds in order to reach the pinnacle of success sat dormant in my vehicle as it was evident to me that none of those “savages” were intellectually interested in advancing the excellence of our race….
Or, its “souvenirs!”
