Black History is American History
“Racism is a disease that has affected our country, and we want our Father in Heaven to heal the land.”
As a former public-school educator and a former Black History Chairperson, I felt led to teach the next generation about the acts of love shown and the sacrifices made throughout history for the advancement of African American people. During that time, I intentionally shared information about people of different races because I wanted my students to understand that Black History or African American History is American History. However, I distinctly remember a teacher asking me this question: “Nicole, why do we have to talk about white people during Black History Month? This is our time.” I couldn’t articulate the fact that this was a call on my life because I didn’t understand it at the time, so I said something smart and walked off. (Hey! I’m not perfect! I’ve made that perfectly clear at this point.) On another occasion, a teacher of a different race questioned the topics we chose to discuss during Black History Month. The individual said, “We shouldn’t teach the students about slavery, sharecropping, or the Civil Rights Movement because it’s too depressing and it divides the students.” Of course, I was extremely angry and I didn’t handle that situation well either. Yeah! That was pretty bad.
Well, if I had those moments back, this is what I would say. Hey teacher friends, racism is a disease that has affected our country, and we want our Father in Heaven to heal the land. Therefore, we must inform our children in America that black hands and white hands tilled the ground one strike at a time and broke through barriers, white hands and black hands planted seeds of love, unity, and forgiveness into our American soil, black hands and white hands watered the seeds through acts of kindness along the way, and the seeds are growing from one generation to the next. With that being said, these seeds require light from the “SON” of man. His name is Jesus, and his light is inside every believer. I know we can’t talk about Jesus in a public school setting; however, we can demonstrate his love in this school setting. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). When we love the way the Father intended, we humble ourselves before him and we say, Not my will… not my agenda… not my personal feelings but your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” Yes, if I had those moments back, that’s exactly what I would say! Of course, the bell would have cut me off before I finished, but you get the point!
Family, I’m excited about this series, and it’s only day 2.
#Soul Searching Black History Edition#
