Inter-Club Council teaches African-American history through parade, rally

The Ruff Riders motorcycle club waits for the start of the Inter-Club Council Black History Month Parade and Rally Saturday in central El Paso. Photo by Brandon Quarterman, Special to The Monitor.

Victoria Molinar,
Special to The Monitor:

As Black History Month came to a close, the streets of Montana and Copia were filled this past Saturday with JROTC groups, fraternities, sororities and church organizations, and about 40 members of Fort Bliss’ 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, and the 1st AD band.

The theme for this year’s Inter-Club Council Black History Month Parade and Rally was “African-American Women in Culture and History.” Around 300 people attended the event, including those from Fort Bliss.

“Fort Bliss’ involvement in the Black History Month celebration is pivotal because we make up a large portion of the African-American community in El Paso,” said Staff Sgt. Micheal McKie-Smith, a member of the 1st Armored Division and the motorcycle group, Ruff Ryders.  McKie-Smith and other members of Ruff Ryders rode their motorcycles during the parade while wearing their black RR vests.

“We appreciate the participation of the Fort Bliss community and how they always support this parade,” said Parade Marshall Alice James-Sellers, a retired director of the compensatory education program for Ystleta Independent School District. “The only reason this activity has been able to thrive is because of the people who are behind it, and the parade probably wouldn’t do as well without them.”

Members of the 1st Armored Division Band join marchers for the Inter-Club Council Black History Month Parade on Saturday. Photo by Kevin Montgomery, Special to The Monitor.

According to Inter-Club Council President Carl Robinson, the parade footprint was where the African-American community resided before the Civil Rights Movement. And it was during the racial segregation of the 1940s that an African-American woman by the name of Mary Webb raised money through bake sales to purchase land and build Mary Webb Park, located on 3401 East Missouri Ave. The park, which was built because African-American children did not have a park to play in at the time, was where the festivity took place following the parade Saturday.

Performances by groups such as The Rock Faith Center Miming Kingdom Business and speeches from distinguished women such as Parade Grand Marshall Frances G. Hill and retired El Paso Independent School District teacher Minnie Gage highlighted the celebration. Various booths surrounded the area, encouraging applicable attendees to register to vote, educating passers-by on historic African-American figures and offering food such as turkey legs, hot wings and fried cat fish. One vendor, Dr. Justus Opot, brought handmade jewelry from his home country, Kenya.

“Black History Month makes me proud to come from Kenya,” said Opot, who is currently a general doctor in Juarez, Mexico. “It means freedom and sharing our history and since I arrived here, I have more pride about where I’m from.”

The Rock Faith Center Miming Kingdom Business group dances to music played at the Black History Month rally at Mary Webb Park. Photo by Victoria Molinar, Special to The Monitor.

Robinson said that aside from the entertainment, the purpose of the parade and rally is to educate the community about African-American culture in both national and local history.

“It’s a continuing process to educate young African Americans in this day and age,” said Robinson. “A lot of African-American history is not taught in Texas public schools, but I think that many El Paso schools do a very good job in highlighting Black History Month with guest lecturers and other programs that help educate the children. It’s important to know where we came from, where we are today and where we are going in the future.”

Minnie Gage stepped on to the main stage during the rally and urged attendees not only to enjoy the celebration, but to commemorate the African-Americans who paved the way for today’s minorities.

“Think about Thurgood Marshall, Toni Morrison, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice; they were black men and women who made it to the top,” said Gage. “Some of you don’t know what you’re going to make out of yourselves, but you won’t make anything out of yourselves unless you get serious and say, ‘I can make it.’”

Share

Short URL: http://fbmonitor.com/?p=10604

Comments are closed

Advertisement
Military Discounts ENMU

Recent Entries

Featured Links

Search Archive

Search by Date
Search by Category
Search with Google
Advertisement
Advertisement Military Discounts
Advertisement Ruidoso, New Mexico

Photo Gallery

Advertisement
Log in | Designed by Gabfire themes | The Monitor and The Monitor Online are published by Laven Publishing each Thursday.
The Monitor is an unofficial publication authorized by AR 360-1 and printed each Thursday in the interest of the Fort Bliss and El Paso, Texas, communities. It is the only publication allowed to be distributed on Fort Bliss property. The contents of The Monitor are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, or The Laven Group, LLC. The appearance of advertising in The Monitor does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised. Any article or service advertised in The Monitorwill be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to any non-merit factor of consumers. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, advertising from that source will be discontinued until the violation is corrected. The Monitor has a circulation of 15,000 copies. Editorial content is prepared, edited and provided by the Public Affairs Office of Fort Bliss, Bldg. 15, (915) 568-4088 or fax (915) 568-3749. Items submitted for publication in The Monitor should be sent to monitorbliss@gmail.com, or sent to Fort Bliss, Texas 79916, by noon on Friday before issue. All submissions become Army property and should be typed, double-spaced with the author’s name, signature, and mailing address. Photos should have information attached describing photo and have photographer’s full name. The editor reserves the right to reject or edit all submissions or advertising that do not conform to The Monitor’s journalistic standards. All photos are U.S. Army unless otherwise designated. The Monitor’s classified ad page is a free service reserved for active duty personnel, military retirees, military family members and DAC’s only. Because there is no fee, the only advertisements permitted to be published on this page are ads that cannot be considered commercial ventures. Ads must be written on the standard form published from time to time, or located at Bldg. 15. As classified ads are personal in nature, The Monitor cannot publish ads received through “Shotgun” mail or by fax. The Monitor is a registered trademark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued Jan. 12, 1988, #1472244. The Monitor is published by the commanding general of Fort Bliss through The Laven Group, LLC, 5959 Gateway Blvd. West, Ste. 450, El Paso, Tx. 79925 • 772-0934, fax; 772-1594, email: susan@lavenpublishing.com. Check out the online version of The Monitor at fbmonitor.com. Click on the e-Edition tab to view the entire newspaper electronically. For Monitor advertising information, call the Laven Publishing Group at 915-772-0934. For rates and mechanical information, visit www.lavenpublishing.com and click on the advertise tab.