OUR HERITAGE

African American history plays an important role in American history not only because of the Civil Rights Movement, but because of the strength and courage of African-Americans’ struggles to live a good life in America. African-Americans have been present in this country since the early 1600’s, and have been making history since. We as Americans have studied American history through the education system, and we take one month out of the year to study African American history. Of course, we learn some things about the important people and events in African American history, but some of the most significant things, like systemic oppression, are not addressed. 

Black History Month started as what was called “Negro History Week” by Carter G. Woodson in 1926. It was said to be the second week in February to coincide with the birthdays of two pivotal people in black history, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, later to become a leading abolitionist, while Abraham Lincoln was the president who wrote the emancipation proclamation that was intended to free slaves in the confederate states. 

Celebrating Black History Month allows us to reflect on the achievements of the significant civil rights activists in the black community, provide a time for us to learn about the factors that prompted change for civil rights, and to show all Americans why Black History is American History. 

It is important for us to cherish our struggle and our plight, because for generations that has been deeply intertwined with our roots. We want to be in our community promoting black history and equity every month, providing all races and cultures with access to learn.

To understand Jamaican history is to know why we believe that “out of many, we are one people”. Jamaica is such a diverse nation because of their past and it continues to be a melting pot today. Jamaica is rich with experiences blended with traditions, all preserved from centuries ago.

The original inhabitants of Jamaica are believed to be the Arawaks, also called Tainos. It was the Tainos who met Christopher Columbus when he arrived on Jamaica’s shores in 1494. It wasn’t until the 16th century that the Spanish arrived bringing with them sugarcane and slavery. They ruled the land for a century and a half until they were defeated by the English in 1655. Nevertheless,

slavery and sugar cultivation became Jamaica’s main trade, making the English planters incredibly wealthy. 

While the English gained wealth and status, the indigenous population became slaves and the Spanish fled. However, slaves soon escaped into the mountains and formed their own independent groups, called Maroons. The Maroons were in time joined by other slaves who escaped from the English. For a long time, they fought against the English who sought to recapture them, but the Maroons were able to outlast their adversaries, forcing the English to sign peace treaties. These treaties not only granted the Maroons the power to govern themselves, but gave them a measure of local autonomy that they still retain today.

Slavery was later abolished in 1834, and in the years that followed, much of modern Jamaica was forged as migration continued to increase. As the pot continued to grow, structure and order became more necessary. So it’s no surprise that, in the 1930s, politics in Jamaica was born and bipartisanship was formally introduced. Then, decades later on August 6, 1962, the new black, gold, and green Jamaican flag was raised, finally making Jamaica an independent nation.

We are proud to have roots that hail from the most beautiful island in all the world, Jamaica! As descendants of Jamaican immigrants, who traveled the more than 1500 mile journey in the late 1980s in search of opportunity, we are determined to boast our Jamaican pride and reinvest into our communities!

The Kiowa are North American Indians of Kiowa-Tanoan linguistic origin. They are believed to have migrated from what is now southwestern Montana into the southern Great Plains in the 18th century. Guided by North American Indians of Siouan linguistic stock, the Crow, the Kiowa learned the technologies and customs of the Plains Indians and eventually formed a lasting peace with the Comanche, Arapaho, and Southern Cheyenne. The name Kiowa is also known to be a variant of the linguistic name for the tribe, Kai-i-gwu, meaning “principal people.”

The Kiowa and their confederates were among the last of the Plains tribes to capitulate to the U.S. Cavalry. Since 1868 they have shared a reservation with the Comanche between the Washita and Red Rivers, centered on Anadarko, Oklahoma.

Traditional Kiowa religion included the belief that dreams and visions had the ability to give individuals supernatural power in war, hunting, and healing. Ten medicine bundles, believed to protect the tribe, became central in the Kiowa Sun Dance, which is one of the most notable and traditional religious ceremonies. 

The Kiowa culture is also filled with prominent art and artists, notably, the Kiowa Six. The Kiowa Six are six different artists who, throughout the 20th century, made strides in having the unique pictographic “Kiowa style” internationally recognized and acclaimed. From making history in the art program at the University of Oklahoma to having original pieces showcased at the prestigious Venice Biennale, their journey as artists helped bring notoriety to generations of rich art and culture. 

We will continue investing in our roots to ensure that history, culture, and traditions like that of the Kiowa can be forever practiced and shared with others.