Three Times When Supposed Progress Only Led to the Next Phase
I began learning history much like most people. Beginning in elementary school, we’re taught key historical events and dates. In America, that includes migration from Europe in search of religious freedom. We learned about the Revolutionary War and the heroism of the Founding Fathers. As the years go by, we learned of other wars and more American heroes. Slavery was mentioned in about equal proportion to the significance of abolitionists and their attempts to end slavery. If there was any overall message, it was that even if Americans didn’t do well, they meant well, which made everything alright.
When I began writing about history, I started thinking about what was going on around the same time as the main historical events covered. I gained perspective, which is essential to understanding history, rather than merely reciting it. I discovered while preparing notes for a makeup history exam that once I wrote something down, I remembered it more easily. I prepared index cards with a plan to cheat, but found I’d actually learned the material and didn’t need to.
I’ve written well over 1,000 stories about Black history and politics, some covering the same subject from…