Contributor Andrew Padula has been in situations throughout his life where he has felt compelled to address racial issues from his unusual perspective. Andrew is a white, politically conservative, blues musician who has been teaching and touring the U.S. and Europe since 1993. He can be seen with blues legend Bobby Parker on B.E.T. Jazz Central as well as on Carlos Santana’s recent DVD release “Montreux Blues Summit”. His point of view adds plenty to our discussion, so I welcome Andrew and his column The Topsoil to Allaboutrace.com. As Andrew …

Can you hear that low rustling sound? It’s the sound of elementary school teachers all across the nation rummaging through cluttered supply cabinets looking for their staple pocked cartoon-like cutouts of “Great Black Americans” to put on display for the next 28 days or so.

It’s Black History Month again. Children in classrooms everywhere are to be surrounded by two dimensional sepia colored heads, some smiling, some stern faced; all captioned with names like Tubman, King, Carver and Douglass. I guess these displays, along with the requisite school assembly performance …