The Importance of Black History

By Diana Madoshi

History matters! We need to know who is included and who has been left out. We need to know and examine historical myths and historical facts. It is imperative that we as citizens explore and examine the terrain of the past and present. It is a useful tool to explore pathways toward a better future for all of us. Because “Yes, Virginia, history often repeats itself!” 

 To begin with, we as a people must stop listening to the nonsense that history is archaic and has no bearing on our future. As many young people of today say, “Stop the B.S.”  Events happening around our country such as book banning, vilifying the history of African Americans, Native Americans, and other people of color indicate history does have a strong bearing on today and events to come.  

 The deliberate actions and attempts to squash and whitewash Black history and other components of American History must not be taken lightly. Just recently I read that a school in Florida is demanding permission slips to teach Black History! This stems from a dangerous and silly law that Governor DeSantis initiated to police the teaching of Black history. The purpose is to keep white students from feeling bad when learning about the atrocities African American ancestors underwent during slavery and post reconstruction.  

 Floridian legislators and politicians and others in southern states have been pushing a narrative that slaves came to American shores as guest workers. This belies the facts. Black people of African descent were brought to American shores in shackles. Family members were separated and sold to other enslavers. These Black people did not have autonomy of their own bodies nor protection to keep their own children. They were forbidden to speak their native tongues and forbidden to learn to read and write in the language of their enslavers. 

 And yet here we are in 2024, there is a significant segment of the U.S. that wants to deny and paint a different version of these historical facts! My Aunt Ramona would say doing so is like dousing a hog pen with Chanel No. 5. The result is still stinky! 

 These are the thoughts swirling through my head this February, designated as Black history month, which of course is a segment of American History. We will be bombarded with nonsense about the unimportance of educating and learning about Black Americans’ accomplishments and contributions to our broader American history.  

 The so-called anti-woke crowd will raise its fever pitch. Unaware in their ignorance, they continue to culturally appropriate another term of the Black community- “Woke.”  Woke for the Black community has meant to be ‘aware of,’ ’with it,’ or knowledgeable.  

 These attackers of the histories of Black, Native American and people of color in the United States with their book bans, etc. are repudiating American history in their willful ignorance. Sadly, it is not the first time in history and the challenge for the rest of us who are more enlightened is not to let them succeed. We have been there before!