Sarah Birnbach

In 1976, when President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month, he called on the public to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout out history.” Many of these “too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans” were highlighted in my December 13th and December 20th newsletters, featuring…

Negro History Week was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted Black historian, scholar, educator and publisher. By the late 1960’s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black…

COVID-19 has shined a light on health disparities that have been in existence in our country for centuries. The startling and disproportionate death rate among Black Americans around the country from COVID-19 is a horrific reminder of the persistent inequities and the need for solutions to address them. THE ISSUES A recent Washington Post special report, based…

“People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” ~ Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom Last week I wrote about the hatred that exists, and has existed, in this country for centuries – a hatred that has divided our country, devastated cities, left hundreds dead…

“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”                                                                                    ~ James Baldwin My original plan for last week’s newsletter, and then this week’s newsletter, was to focus on health disparities in our country and particularly the ways Black Americans have been inequitably impacted by the coronavirus. But…

Black Lives Matter protesters were met with police in riot gear on June 1, 2020. In my lifetime, which now spans seven decades, there have been three major events on American shores that have left me and the nation in shock and disbelief and changed public consciousness forever. These events are indelibly etched in our…

My dear friend, Jean, sent me this postcard, with words from the song written by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller in 1955. The words “let it begin with me” resonated. Over this past year, I’ve been sensitized to racism in our country in a way I never was before. A long overdue awareness. When I…

As this is my last newsletter of 2020, I am taking a few minutes to reflect on the past twelve months. I began this year writing my weekly Best Self newsletters with a variety of personal growth topics and related journal prompts. But after the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 and after reading extensively…

Last week I shared stories of 19th century-born Black inventors, scientists and engineers, many of whom had little or no formal education or training, yet made major contributions to our contemporary way of life. This week, I continue that list with men and women whose names start with L through W. In sharing these stories, I…

Many talented members of the Black community have given much to our country and yet their achievements went unrecognized for a long time. Textbooks and classrooms in the 1950s, ‘60s and ’70s mainly provided the history of Caucasian Americans. Despite being a crucial component in the American story, the lives of many important Black Americans…