As I was taking the time to reflect upon what to share for the commemoration of Black History Month 2023, I wanted to acknowledge individuals who take the time to mark, share and acknowledge remembrance and commemoration of this month. While as leaders it is our hope that such kinds of remembrances evoke the human consciousness for specific purposes. I became mindful of tragic incidents that occur where individuals are left to mourn and grieve commemorations with death and destructions; that is in opposition to the efforts put forth. A recent example is the shooting in Puerto Rico that took place while individuals were celebrating the Mardi Gras festival of 2023.
To mark Black History Month 2023, I was interested to learn of the Spanish ballerina in Havana, Cuba, with the name Concepción, and decided to share this. Concepción was a young white woman who gave birth to a son that she named: Diego Gabriel de la Concepción (Ferrer, 2021, p. 97). She placed her baby in an orphanage because the child was of mixed races, birthed to a man of color.
The giving away of her child reminded me of the the biblical story of Moses, who was placed in a basket by his mother and was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter in Egypt. And also the heart-breaking order of King Herod in Jerusalem who ordered the killing of babies. Similarly; we see how history and biblical teachings reveal the hardships that women and men faced to give up their newborns.
I was proud to learn that Diego was later taken in by his father’s family. His son became known as Plácidos. Plácidos started to write poetry. As his writing evolved; “His contemporaries considered him a romantic poet, inspired by the likes of Blake, Wordsworth, and Coleridge” (2021, p. 98).
I was excited to learn of the Spanish Ballerina, her son later known as Plácidos. His talents that sought to connect races, could also be because of his family, ancestry and links to his mother. The historical time-frame and contexts of the passage could also reveal the harmonious relations between the British, Spanish and French.
To all who celebrate and commemorate, I wish you a very happy Black History Month 2023!!
- Further Reading: ABC News | Mardi Gras parade shooting in New Orleans kills 1, wounds 4
- Reference: Ferrer, A. (2021). Cuba: An American History. Scribner.
- Image 1 – created with canva.com
Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written. All views, opinions and commentary of the book referenced are my own and are cited as per required. Thank you.
With Love & Kindness! 🇺🇸
{HEART'S, FOREVER!} 