Black History Month: Slavery isn't Black History and other truths to teach during Black History Month
Today marks the first day of February and the beginning of Black History Month.
This means it's time for teachers to pull up Dr. King's I Have a Dream speech, read a few poems by Maya Angelou, and study the Emancipation Proclamation. You know the basic Black History Month requirements.
Don't get me wrong, the words of Dr. King, Maya Angelou, and the presidential proclamation ending of (that iteration of) slavery are incredibly important and should be read, recited, and understood. But, to me, it is incredibly limiting.
The limited scope of how our nation discusses the African-American narrative is disheartening. The history of African-Americans in our country stretches far beyond the end of slavery and the overturning of Jim Crow laws.
It's time to expand the narrative.
Today, I am sharing five truths we should be teaching about Black History in our classrooms.
1) It's Everyone's History.
We must stop presenting Black History as something separate from American History. Life doesn't happen in a vacuum.
Therefore, Black History hasn't taken place in a vacuum:
Slavey is Black History, our history. Jim Crow laws are Black History, our history. Segregation and Mass incarceration are Black History, our history, and present reality.
All of it, the good and bad, has impacted and influenced every crack and crevice of American society, both in the past and present.
2) It Isn't Pretty.
Learning about the horrors of our ancestors is uncomfortable, shameful, and embarrassing. Which is exactly why we can't deny our students the truth. We feel shame and guilt for a reason - they're our moral compass.
Therefore, we should feel shame and guilt when we teach and learn about Black History because it exposes humans at our worst. And if we don't allow the shame and guilt of our ancestors' mistakes to move us and change our hearts, we are no better than those before us, and we will repeat the same horrific mistakes.
3) It Goes Far Beyond Slavery, A Dream, And A Speech.
This version of history is false. Yes, the mentioned events are true. But it is disrespectful and dishonest to portray this partial history.
As educators, it is our duty to expand this narrative and fill in the gruesome details. We need to understand what came before the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment. And we need to open our eyes to the present realities of what it means to be Black in America today.
We must expose the heinous behavior of those who oppressed humans for hundreds of years before and after slavery. And we must highlight the heroics of individuals, of all skin tones, who have fought for equality and freedom at every stage of our nation's history.
4) History Is Happening. Now.
Equality did not come when Dr. King shared his dream. Freedom did not come when the 13th Amendment became law. Segregation did not end when Ruby stepped off that school bus.
Our students need to understand this because they are the authors of history. They are the ones who will determine what comes next!
5) Stop Being Scared To Talk About Race.
More importantly, we must stop being scared to listen. Listening empowers us to cultivate empathy for people whose stories are different than ours. In turn, empathy changes our hearts and understanding of the world.
No, we are not living in a post-racial world. And by not talking about race, we are guaranteeing that we continue living in the midst of division. Honestly evaluating and understanding our past, along with creating space for conversation, is our only hope for the future.