On February 1 each year,
Black History Month begins.
Major contributions of Blacks
Are praised, and everybody wins.

But yesterday, we heard the shocking
Reports on the nightly TV news
That fourteen--yes, fourteen!--bomb threats
Occurred at this country's HBCUs.°

Threatening lives and causing disruptions
At Black institutions of learning,
The culprits' hateful acts display
Behavior that is highly concerning.

And at the same time, many states
Are passing laws that sadly embrace
Innocuous and unrealistic
Ways that teachers can talk about race.

If educators are forced to cover
U.S. history insincerely,
Students won't learn the truth of our past,
And Americans will suffer dearly.

So why Black History Month?
What started as an important endeavor
To recognize accomplishments
Is now needed more than ever.

-by Bob B (2-2-22)

°Historically Black Colleges and Universities