The publication Black History Month 365 recognizes that our history is far too rich and extensive to be told in the shortest month of the year. Each month we’ll link to the best stories from our publication and some of the best stories we’ve run across by other writers. Black History Month is not only a celebration but a reminder of what our ancestors went through and how they persevered. Please check out any or all of these stories as you’re bound to discover something you didn’t know before. Be safe.

William Spivey — Editor

Cocoa Grio tells a tale…

I’d rather write a 2,500-word essay on a historical subject than 500 about myself. That said, there are a few things I’d have, you know. I am a combination of contradictions, humble and arrogant, quiet but cocky, opinionated but entirely without an opinion depending on the subject. The one thing anyone who knows me would agree on is that I love to write. It’s the only way to get out the thoughts that would otherwise allow me no sleep at night.

As pictured, these earrings appear to be about twice as large as they are in reality. They’re tiny, and I can’t imagine anyone opening the box, expecting jewelry, and not be disappointed. One would-be recipient told me that they would slide right through the existing holes in her ears.

You might reasonably ask how I came to possess a pair of studs with minuscule diamonds attached? I’ve been forbidden from relating much of the story for reasons that are unclear to me. Why is it that she can post a picture on Facebook, yet I, a writer, can’t write about…

By all rights, Thomas Jefferson could have been a true player. He was tall, allegedly 6' 2" and a half. You have to take that with a grain of salt because that number comes from his grandson's description. The Jefferson family has been known to exaggerate slightly in favor of its most famous member, but it’s fair to say he was taller than most men of his day.

Thomas was rich; he inherited 5,000 acres and 175 enslaved people while still a teenager. He became a lawyer and played the violin (which was like the electric guitar now in terms…

During the hours after Tiger Woods's serious car accident, little was known about his health status, even if his injuries were life-threatening? The images of the SUV he was driving suggested several bad possibilities. It couldn’t help but spark memories of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash a year ago.

I turned away from the newscasts, which were full of speculation and a rehash of the ups and downs of Tiger’s career. …

Rush Limbaugh, whether wittingly or unwittingly, was the architect. Give him credit where it’s due; he was the Messiah for right-wing media. He begat Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, and every other wannabe radio or television star of political discourse. His formula was copied or slightly altered by dozens who learned to profit from hate, with Black people often being the target.

I’m not here to stomp on the man’s grave. This story won’t be a recitation of his racism, misogyny, or homophobia. All that is well documented, and you either are well aware of it or…

I read an article this morning that encapsulates racism, white supremacy, and systemic racism all in one. It involves a lawsuit by Black correctional officers who work in the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center (Saint Paul, Minnesota), where the officer who kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck until he died was being held.

I’m from Minneapolis and grew up four blocks from where George Floyd was murdered, so I follow some of the less reported stories because they hit close to home.

The racial discrimination lawsuit claims that when Derek Chauvin was brought into the facility, all the officers…