February
may be the shortest month of the year, but it packs a lot into a mere 28 or 29
(Leap Year) days with Black History Month and Valentine’s Day.
Yet,
love is more than flowers, chocolates, cards and jewelry. Love has played a
role in moving society forward. Love for freedom led America’s First
Continental Congress to come together to fight for life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness as a sovereign nation. Freedom and love for their fellow
men moved abolitionists to action to rid the land of slavery.
Generations
of slaves, whether separated from their families or not, continued to show love
and faith under unbearable conditions. Even as echoes of The Middle Passage and
life on plantations and in the fields of cotton reverberated, slaves lifted
their voices in songs of faith and love to keep going. It’s found in the lyrics
of many spirituals like Jacob’s Ladder.
The
Civil War tested the love of the Union as the brothers took up arms against
each other in the bloodiest war ever fought on our soil. Again, we find echoes
of love letters from soldiers to their families, wives and sweethearts on the
Confederate and Union side. While committed to the fight, their longing to get
back to the people they held dear was palpable. Although there was a measure of
uncertainty when the war ended as to how the Confederate (rebels) would be
treated, there was no indication that Lincoln planned to make them suffer.
Unfortunately an assassin’s bullet made sure we’d never know,
In the
years followed, our country has experienced wartime. World War I and II tested
our love for our nation as we partnered with our allies against tyranny across
the Globe. Then there was the invisible war in America that was a part of the
long journey for Civil Rights for African Americans, many of whom lived in the
Jim Crow south and dealt with the indignity of second class citizen treatment.
The Civil Rights Movement shined the light on injustice peacefully in the face
of outright brutality. Keep Your Eyes on
the Prize has transcended Civil Rights to include women and the LGBT community.
When
President Obama gave his State of the Union Address, he did so in a somewhat
lighthearted yet serious manner. He addressed issues that concern everyone
regardless of race; extending unemployment benefits, raising the minimum wage,
healthcare, jobs and taking care of veterans and wounded soldiers. In an odd
way, it’s a Valentine to the American people to let us know that our love for
this country is reciprocal.
Think
about that when you order flowers, pick up a card, get a gift or make a
reservation for a romantic dinner remember the words of Lennon and McCartney,
All You Need Is Love. Love is all you need for everyone.
