February 27, 2009
Radio address underscores importance of diversity
LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today celebrated Black History Month, highlighting some of the great African American figures in Michigan history and pointing to diversity as one of the nation's greatest strengths.
"To recognize and celebrate all of the cultures represented in America and all of the people who have contributed to its progress, it is important that we are aware and understand all of our history; and Black history is American history," Granholm said. "That history was enriched last month as people from all over the country lined up to be a part of the momentous inauguration of the nation's first African American president - Barack Obama."
The governor honored notable African Americans who have had a particular impact on Michigan as well as across the world, including Mary McLeod Bethune who founded Bethune-Cookman College, one of today's most prestigious historically Black colleges; and Martin Luther King, Jr., whose "I Have a Dream" speech inspired a nation to campaign for civil rights.
Granholm added that Michigan is the state of great fighters for freedom like Sojourner Truth and conductors on the Underground Railroad. It's the state where Malcolm X grew up and where Motown got the world moving to a new beat, and it's the state that became Rosa Parks' home state and later her final resting place.
"African American history is central to America's history. Let us be reminded that one of our nation's greatest strengths is the diversity of our people, the diversity of their ideas, our talents," Granholm said. "When we bring together people of different backgrounds and different ways of seeing the world, we create an environment of acceptance and spark transformation for both our world and ourselves."
The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday morning and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state. The address is available on the governor's Web site at
www.michigan.gov/gov
for download, together with a clip of the quote above. The radio address is also available as a podcast on the Web site, as well as on iTunes and via RSS feed for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers.
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
Radio Address - Black History Month
February 27, 2009
Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.
February is Black History Month, and the story of African Americans in Michigan and across the nation is incredibly rich and complex. The struggle for freedom, civil rights, and economic and social equality is woven into the history of American life.
To recognize and celebrate all of the cultures represented in America and all of the people who have contributed to its progress, it is important that we are aware and understand all of our history; and Black history is American history.
That history was enriched last month as people from all over the country lined up to be part of the momentous inauguration of the nation's first African American president - Barack Obama.
Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian, author, journalist, and founder of Black History Month once said, "Those who have no record of what their forbearers have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history."
So, as we memorialize the historic inauguration of Barack Obama, let us also take a moment to reflect on those unlikely heroes who have helped to set the stage for the history we are living today. People like Mary McLeod Bethune who founded the Bethune-Cookman College, which is one of today's most prestigious historically Black colleges. Or people like Martin Luther King, Jr., whose "I Have a Dream" speech inspired a nation to campaign for civil rights.
Or other influential African Americans who are central to Michigan's history like Elijah McCoy who invented the locomotive lubricator that revolutionized locomotives, improving fuel efficiency and allowing trains to travel much longer stretches without a stop.
Michigan is the state of great fighters for freedom, like Sojourner Truth, and conductors on the Underground Railroad. We are the state where Malcolm X grew up and where Motown got the world moving to a new beat. We are the state that gave hope to hundreds of thousands of southern Blacks during the Great Migration. We are also the state that became Rosa Parks' home state and later her final resting place.
President Obama's historic inauguration says in a meaningful way to all Americans, that regardless of their social status, regardless of their color, if they work hard and prepare themselves, they, too, have the opportunity to become leaders of the free world.
African American history is central to America's history. Let us be reminded that one of our nation's greatest strengths is the diversity of our people, the diversity of their ideas, our talents. When we bring together people of different backgrounds and different ways of seeing the world, we create an environment of acceptance and spark transformation for both our world and ourselves.
Thank you for listening.
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