Black History, and All History, Is Really About Regular People

Never mind the celebrities — every real historical moment ultimately comes down to people and their families.

If there's one thing we at Legacy have learned by reading the nation's obituaries every morning for the past 20 years, it's this: History is happening all around us, every single day.

It's not just about the most famous people. It's about all the extraordinarily ordinary lives unfolding in our homes, our towns, our workplaces and our churches and our schools.

February, of course, has been Black History Month. One thing we've all noticed over the years is that the mainstream American media sometimes spends Black History Month offering up the same familiar stories about Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and the Harlem Renaissance over and over again.

While those cultural figures are important, it might be even more important to make sure we remember all the amazing stories of our own communities. Because history isn't an abstract concept. History is "the story of tonight," as that one song says.

And in every town, every night and every day, we see real history written in the obituaries, where regular families preserve the stories of their loved ones.

So, as 2019's Black History Month draws to a close, we stand and salute the lives of the people who have been making history, as seen by those around them — not just in the distant past, but in the past that just happened five minutes ago. Here are some of their stories, in their families' own words. (Each one links through to the full obituary so you can read more.)

Major General Marcelite Jordan Harris passed September 7, 2018 at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL.... General Harris, fierce military leader, devoted wife, loving mother and nurturing grandmother, touched the lives of many throughout her illustrious career. She was married to Lt. Col. Maurice Harris, USAF (deceased) and raised two children — Steven and Tenecia, during her years of active service. Being a mother, wife, and Air Force officer were roles that defined who she was, she told Ebony in 1995.... She made history in 1991 when she became the first African American female Brigadier General in the Air Force. Soon after, again, General Harris overcame all odds when she was named the first female director of maintenance and deputy chief of staff for logistics at the U.S. Air Force Headquarters, Washington, D.C. in 1994. It was here at the Pentagon where she managed a workforce of more than 125,000 technicians and managers and maintained the $260 billion Global Reach-Global Power aerospace weapons system inventory that she was promoted to Major General. Not only did this make her the highest-ranking woman in the Air Force, but also the highest-ranking African American woman in the entire Department of Defense.... After her distinguished military career, she joined the United Space Alliance, Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fl.... For her accomplishments, commitment to excellence and courageous journey, General Harris received many medals and decorations: Bronze Star, Legion of Merit with oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusters, Presidential Unit Citation and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, among others.Read her obituary

Dorothy Lee White Smith of Goldsboro, NC, passed away surrounded by her family on Wednesday, January 10, 2018. She was 89 years old....

While at the State Department, Dorothy had many notable experiences...she met the Italian Prime Minister, shook hands with former President and Mrs. Nixon, and was host to many other guests and dignitaries.