It's MLK Day and Black History Month is coming up!

You know what good day to discuss this subject on MLK day. It hits me that Black History Month (BHM) is just around the corner.

When I first started this blog I had been determined to do some Black history posts and at times I've come very short. My goal wasn't just to pull out moments from Black history surely everyone remembers from school, but just to talk about where Black America is going in my view. Perhaps another goal was to say, where should we go.

Last year, I didn't do a very good job of noting BHM until the end of the last month. The point was history is always being made every day and that's important to note.

At the same time I feel as if there is a neglect of Black History and issues on my part, even if it isn't during the month of February. It caused me to come to a new conclusion recently. Perhaps I should start reading more.

I still have a booklist in the sidebar of this blog. There's really no point to this list only to say that these are books of interest and not for myself, but for you if you're interested. These books are across many different interests especially politics, philosophy, or even racial interest.

So there are some books on this list that I actually do have in my collection that would be of great interest and it's time to start reading them. Besides years ago I started the Booker T. Washington autobiography - Up from Slavery - and never finished. It's time to finish.

The face associated with this blog so far is former anti-slavery advocate Frederick Douglass. His autobiography - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave - was something that was read in school, but if there was a reading test about the book there was no way to pass back then. Now that there's no pressure of class now is the time to start reading.

I have also been keen because it have recently become of interest to read the late Nelson Mandela's book - Long Walk to Freedom. It was once written that I often cringed at the idea of comparing the segregation here to the apartheid of South Africa there was little difference. It's great to learn his experiences as an activist in that nation to truly change that country and he served in prison for his activism from 1964 to 1990. It's time to start reading.

Well no need to stop there, but it's certainly going to be the start. And perhaps there are other books to be bought in the near future on various subjects that it's time to read. What better time to start reading than Black History Month!

ALSO, the earlier links to Up from Slavery and the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass are to public domain copies of the book. Feel free to click on them and read!