Today We Honor A Hero (But Not The Only Black Hero)

Today is the official holiday to honor a great American -- a real hero of this country. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to make this a better country for all of its citizens, and it is only right to honor him with a holiday. But he is not alone.

Sadly, when asked to name Black men and women who are American heroes, too many Whites would struggle to name anyone but Dr. King. That is a tragic failure of our educational system.

The truth is that there are many Black men and women who have made heroic contributions to this country throughout its history. Let me name just a few -- Crispus Attucks, Frederick Douglass, Malcom X, John Lewis, Andrew Goodman, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers, Angela Davis, James Farmer, Barbara Jordan, Shirley Chisholm, Huey P. Newton, W.E.B. DuBois, George Washington Carver, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman.

I could go on, because there are many others. But I think you get my point. Blacks have a rich and proud history in the United States, and their service and sacrifice to their fellow man have made this a better country for all Americans. That makes them heroes in my eyes.

It would do my fellow Whites well to study some real American history -- not just White history. We would not be the free and democratic nation we love without the contributions of Blacks (and other non-whites).