You Can't Teach What has no history

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to Him.” John 3:15 (Message Version)

For years I have heard conversations surrounding Black History Month. The discussions stemmed around the fact that February was a month with the shortest number of days (28 or 29) so some felt it was yet another slap in the face to African Americans. However, truth be told, there are legitimate reasons that February became the chosen month. The celebration actually started off with recognition during a week in the month but years later, the month was recognized. The month selected based on the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President who abolished slavery (February 12th) and Frederick Douglas, who was a civil rights activist (February 14th) according to History.com.

Another question that seems to peak curiosity is why do we celebrate Black History? We celebrate it because African Americans have proven to be individuals who have shown (and continue to show) resiliency and resourcefulness in the face of racism, brutality, injustice, and so much more. We celebrate to remember the lives of people who paved the way for change and changed our world. People with recognized names like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Muhammad Ali, Kamala Harris and many more. Yet, there are names that may be unfamiliar to many reading this like Gwendolyn Brooks, Ruby Bridges, James Baldwin, Shirley Chisholm, Claudette Colvin, Bessie Coleman, Jesse Owens and again many more. It is because of all these individuals that glimmers of light can be seen today instead of complete darkness at the end of the tunnel of racial tensions and uncertainties.

There is one last thing worth mentioning. February is also recognized for Valentine’s Day (February 14th), the month of love; the season to pronounce ones love for another. I started this blog with scripture because for quite some time it (the scripture) was pressed upon my heart. I couldn’t fathom why God was incessantly bringing this scripture to my thoughts. When I was asked to share this blog, it then became clear to me the purpose of the perpetual reminder. I understood that God never meant for the SKIN WE’RE IN (our melanin) to be a divider in our humanity towards each other. The scripture says specifically God loved THE WORLD (FYI…it doesn’t matter what version of the Bible you read; it’s going to say the same thing). The world is made up of people from all walks of life and God sees beyond color…He sees the core of our spirit, who He created in His image (Genesis 1:27), and His purpose/plans being fulfilled (Jeremiah 29:11). You may be wondering, how so? Well, history is as important as the photographs we capture with a camera. They both provide footprints (memories) for the generations to come to learn from the past just as we have in hopes for a better future. I believe that Nelson Mandela put it into the best words, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

I believe it’s so important that we teach LOVE. As a black woman who has Vitiligo, I started to realize that people judged me because of what they saw not because of what they knew. God taught me that my Vitiligo was not a curse but a cure to help others who also lived with the skin disorder and a cure to heal me; something that I didn’t see coming over the years that I fought to cover my spots. I have learned to love the skin I’m in and realize it has been a journey to get to this point. I’m excited as my footprints continue in the sand from me paving the way for other by starting the Houston Vitiligo Awareness Movement (HVAM), an organization to support those living with Vitiligo. Through this organization I have been able to teach awareness to the community and the world what Vitiligo is and what it is not. I’m also excited about the footprints created from me writing and publishing my first book, “My Journey To Just Be Me. Moments Of Reflection With The ONE I Love.” GOD IS LOVE!

So that brings this blog full circle…February is the month of love and history! I’ll end with this scripture from 1 John 4:7-10, “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.”

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Written by: Diane Wilkes Tribitt

Diane Wilkes Tribitt is the Founder of D’Lyric Inspired, LLC, birthed from
her own personal journey of finding forgiveness and healing from the
wounds of her past. She is a survivor of domestic, emotional, and sexual
abuse. Diane inspires and encourages others through books, music, stage
plays, and advocating. Under D’Lyric, Diane began the “InHER Beauty™
Campaign” focused on building healthy self-esteem in young girls and
women. In 2015, she produced her first stage play “Girls Night Out - A
Twist of Faith” and in 2017 she produced her second stage play “Matters
of the Heart”. Both productions focus on real life situations and received
notable recognition.
Diane is also the Founder of the Houston Vitiligo Awareness Movement
(HVAM), developed in 2016 to provide support to individuals and their
families who are living with Vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder that causes a
loss of pigment (color) typically in patches on a person’s skin. Diane was
diagnosed with Vitiligo at the age of 9-years old. Vitiligo affects about 1%
of the world’s population with no regard to age, ethnicity, or gender.
Diane was a featured model for award-winning fashion photographer, Rick
Guidotti, for his “Body as a Work of Art: More Than Skin Deep”. She was
also a model for celebrity photographer, Ferrell Phelps, for his “The Skin
You’re In” exhibit.
Diane is a Family Advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. She also
released her first book in December 2019, “My Journey To Just Be Me:
Moments of Reflection With The ONE I Love” which is available via
Amazon.
Diane holds a Bachelors degree in Business and Marketing. She is
married to Bass Player & Producer, Patrick Tribitt. They have 6 adult
children & 10 grandchildren.

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