You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on Demand from KFI AM six forty.
It's February twenty eighth. I want to do something a little bit different tonight. You may not have noticed, or maybe you did, but I don't talk about quote unquote Black History Month. I don't do Black History Month features or mentions or anecdotes. It's not that I'm not aware of it. I'm just something that I don't do. And that's always been intentional. And again, don't get me wrong, it's not that I couldn't. Nobody has ever told me, Mo, you can't say that, you can't talk about that, you
shouldn't talk about that. But for me, it clouds my intended message and confuses some folks. Some people wrongly think that Black History Month quote unquote is exclusionary, but actually it's quite the opposite. It's including. It's inclusive of a lot of the stuff that most people me included, missed
in our primary and secondary college education. No exaggeration. When I was attending Arnold Elementary and Calimeher Middle School in South Torrens High School in the early nineteen seventies and into the eighties, the only thing I was ever formally taught having to do with African Americans was slavery and George Washington Carver.
That's it. That's it. No exaggeration.
Oh I forgot and doubled down with Huckleberry Finn and of mice and men. Not exactly flattering portrayals, as if that was the only thing connecting us with American history. And that couldn't be further from the truth. Not even taught about doctor Martin Luther King Junior. And this was even during the fight to make his birthday a holiday. No mention of doctor King. What's your point, Moe, Well,
here's my point today. As I said, is February twenty eighth the last day of quote unquote Black History Month, and for some folks is still in twenty twenty five a controversial idea, some people even call it racist. Oh my goodness, and I'm here to tell you you have been participating in Black History Month basically all year long,
and you're none the worse for it. You may not have realized it, but all of you, including Mark Ronner, including Stephan what yes, oh, all of you you listening in your car right now, you in the gym with your earbuds are you've been participating the fact that you know anything about doctor King today and can mention that one line from that one speech of his, that's a direct result of Black History Month. It just crossed over into the mainstream. I bet you didn't know that. I'm
here to tell you. And it's not like the country is worse off for learning about doctor King. You use that quote today out of context, usually incorrectly, but you use that quote today, and you know about that quote today? Why Black History Month? And you probably never even made the connection. It was Black History Month which made him
a historical figure who is now taught in schools. If I went back to Arnold Elam or Caliban Middle School, South Towarrents High School, they'll talk about doctor King, They'll learn about doctor King.
There's a connection. We're not worse off today because of that.
The fact that you know anything about Jackie Robinson, same thing just crossed over into the mainstream. And now all of Major League Baseball celebrates him every single year and his number has been immortalized in the sport and the Dodgers start their season very soon. Guess what, you can thank Black History Months for that. And you know also what America didn't fall into the ocean and sink. If you know anything about Jackie Robinson, there's a connection. And
it's for me at least. And this is just my one guy's opinion. It's never bad to learn more American history, even if it can be uncomfortable at times. And in fact, that's why I love this country. I hope you're hearing me. I love this country because when you learn all of its history, including the part with all the warts, you can see what a mighty long way we've come as a nation.
Think of it this way.
Think about learning the story of World War Two and the majesty of d Day, but leaving out Pearl Harbor. Yeah, it changes the story. All of it matters, and all of it made America stronger. Believe that part. And I don't explicitly talk about Black History Month because I don't segregate it unintended in my mind. But you get a steady diet all the time and you don't even know it all year long, and you didn't die from it either.
When I gave you the history of ROBERTA. Flack, remember that at the beginning of the week and her time at HBCU Howard university with my parents. That right there, That right there when I talked about the anti ice marches and economic blackout happening today that I'm not participating in, and I compare contrasted it to the civil rights movement. That right there when I shared the story of astronaut
Ronald McNair his contributions and the challenger. That right there, when I told you about a Philip Randolph and FDR.
That right there.
It's not black history, it's just good old American history, and I submit that we're all better for it.
You might have even learned something.
Nobody's face melted, nobody's not one person's face. And you might have also noticed that during quote unquote Black History Month or African American History Month, I don't much quibble about the title. You may have noticed that a common theme is acknowledging the first person to do this or the first person to become that. I know it just drives you up a wall. You're annoyed by it, and I know a lot of folks are tired of hearing it.
But if I could let me offer a different perspective each time you may hear something like I don't know, Colin Powell, the first African American Secretary of State.
Let's use that for example.
It's for me at least, another public acknowledgment of how much this country has grown, how far this country has come, another door which has opened, and room in which we all can walk into, one once upon a time which was unavailable. I tend to think of it as a
very public acknowledgment of how great America is presently. How As the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan said that America can be as good as her promise, a lot of people talk about making America great again, won't call any names, but want to pick and choose what and who are considered great. I'm just saying, include all of it and include everyone. For me, each time I hear about another first,
I celebrate and I make no apologies for that. It makes me love this country even more because it's something probably my grandparents never lived to see. I attended Georgetown University, a school that my parents couldn't imagine attending. It didn't even have its first black student until nineteen fifty. I was one of the first black males in the Torrents Unified School District back in nineteen seventy three. I was called the N word the first day of kindergarten. I'll
never forget it. I was the only black male in my high school graduating class. And today it's no big deal. And I think about that and I'm proud. I remember when my parents weren't allowed to buy a house in Torrance back then. I remember how Torrance as a sundown town that it looked that up do not sell to black's racial covenant back then. And it's okay to celebrate growth and inclusion. It's okay to acknowledge that things are much better now. And as I celebrate that and the
growth of America, America continues to grow. Black History Month for me, quote unquote, is a way of reminding all of us, not just you, but me as well, how much we've grown in a very positive way, learned about its struggles, so celebrate its successes. And if you learn anything from me beyond what you were taught in high school about these subjects, sorry, I'm here to tell you. You can thank Black History Month, and no, you didn't melt
in the process. Imagine that America is the greatest country on the face of the earth, not just because it exists not because of the Constitution, but because it has overcome every obstacle which has come its way. I don't call it Black History Month because for me, it's just American history, and American history is alimited to twenty eight days of the year.
But hell, what do I know.
I'm just the first African American to ever host a weekday talk show on KFI since its inception in nineteen twenty two. Only took one century for it to happen. KFI Am six forty We're live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty