More Than the Sum of A Few Chosen Parts

Picture provided by: www.etsy.com

A friend of mine recently posted on social media something that triggered a memory for me; more so, a thought which used to cross my mind back when I was in school as a student, and then as a teacher. 

I used to wonder why during Black History Month we were only taught one part of our history. I wondered why “they” only shined us in the light of slavery, and not much else. 

Everything we did was born from it, as if that part of our past was where we started. I remember how, as a teacher, it used to piss me off to read all of the richness in our history through my own research, and then see a minute part of that in our school books. Even in seeing the part outside of slavery, those things were “conveniently” left out of the curriculum. Glazed over as if they had never happened. 

What’s worse, is eventually, at least in my particular school district, the curriculum had moved so far away from studying Black History, the students didn’t even know there was a month to celebrate it. My heart was broken the day I was asked by one of my students, “What’s Black History Month?” It was a punch in the gut to know the contributions we gave to the building of this nation, had once again become a non-factor in the minds of our future generations. One which risked being passed down through time to those who choose to repeat history instead of learning from it.

I am of the mind where everyone’s history should be celebrated, and not just in a month which happens to be the shortest one of the year. History is being made all around us. It is a 365 day a year job. No one race should dominate the statutes of its making because no one race is responsible for it alone. 

 To leave any one race out of the making of history, whether it be good or even bad, is to do a disservice to the citizens of the world. Don’t hide the shame; expose it for what it is. Don’t hog the glory, because you are pirating that which rightfully belongs to someone else. A full cover-up of true events can only be masked for so long before it all gets exposed as lies. 

History, up until this point, has been full of lies. White-washed, and hidden to save face for those who took part in its painful and vile operations. This month the nation celebrates what black people know should be recognized all year round. 

Pay attention to the facts you learn, and even as the Bible states, research those facts for yourself. Learn what truly happened & use the knowledge to go forward and do better. Learn that this world cannot function on the sum of a few parts, but only on the contribution of all working together, do we succeed.