One-Big-Happy-Family (OBHF)
I was asked to write a blog for Black History about my great-great grandfather for Ingomu Learning. I'm launching a diversity and inclusion learning community on their App in March. The big idea behind my blog was inspired by this year’s theme for Black History Month: The Black Family. So many people say they want to be One-Big-Happy-Family (OBHF). They have this fantasy for their family, workplace and country.
This reminds me of the Rodney King incident. I can remember vividly, in 1991, Rodney King being chased by police through LA. He was later charged with driving under the influence. Once caught, they beat him for a reported 15 minutes. Similar to George Floyd, the incident was caught on camera. Four officers were originally charged with excessive force and a year later found not guilty. During the following five days of unrest, there were 50 riot-related deaths, and 10 people were shot and killed by officers and national guardsmen. Most of us will never forget Rodney King’s passionate plea, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we get along?"
Check out my blog post, the link is below, and see how I use the research and revelations about my great-great grandfather to answer the question that is on all our minds today. “Can we all get along?”