My People Perish From Lack of Knowledge

This week, we call on you to consider what is going through the minds of Governor Huckabee, Ron DeSantis, Gregg Abbott, Glenn Youngkin, Donald Trump, and many of his followers. They try to get people to buy into their belief that Black history should be eliminated from teaching. But, before we can take a stand against something, we must make sure we understand exactly what they are saying, and for what we are standing. It is essential we put them on the right side of being wrong.

If we understand them correctly, they are saying their young White children should not have to learn about the history of their forefathers or slavery. That is, except the made-up stories told by them, about them, and in their subjective versions of our history. The lengths they went to dehumanize Black people were unconscionable, and the brutality deplored toward Blacks was indescribable, but that still does not provide an excuse to try and rewrite history to try and hide what they did. If it was not bad enough to stop them from committing such atrocities, then it shouldn't be bad enough to stop the truth from being told. We believe they would benefit more from trying to right the wrongs of their forefathers, not by making up and writing a sanitized version of history. What's even worse is they went around the world colonizing and forcing their version of history on others. They intentionally sabotaged and corrupted the minds of millions of people in the way they thought about themselves.

There is one group in that crowd of Trump followers we can somewhat give a break to, and those are the women. Many of them are not acting out of malice or guile. When you go back to the 1700-1800 hundreds, not many women had much education. They were made to stay at home barefoot and pregnant while their men went off and got educated on how to subjugate the world to their way of thinking. So, Mrs. Huckabee Saunders, let me apologize to you because I know a lot of your ignorance comes because of your youth. However, we are pretty sure you were raised in a household where you were exposed to the gorier side of the mis telling of history. If you didn't learn then, you should be amenable to learning now. We know someone who had as good a Conservative Christian raising as you did would not want to perpetuate the outright lies that were written in the history books. But you should be bound by honor to have the truth be known, because when something is accidentally misprinted, what do you do? You try, with all sincerity, to correct it. When someone goes out of their way to distort something as important as history, what do you do then? Well, one thing I can tell you is you don't just try to hide it. Of course you have heard the verse of scripture that says, “What is done in the dark will surely come to light.” So, my dear sister, to you and all the rest of those misguided folks who are hell-bent on hiding the past, we wonder what will you tell your children when they start inquiring about what happened and who their forefathers were? You know one lie requires you to tell others until you finally run out of lies to tell. Is that what you want your people to be known for, being the pro-creators of lies? Or wouldn't you rather get on the side of truth and integrity? Anyway, if you and your followers think that part of history was so bad that it can't be retold, what do you all think about the people who suffered through, and are still suffering, from the indignities committed?

This is just a reminder that all of what happened in the past is in a special category called history for a reason. Some of that reason is so those who are alive and remain can study and learn from the past. By trying to hide the past, you greatly increase the likelihood of a repeat of some of the same atrocities happening again. Something happens when history is only known by the stories told by those who were a little less than truthful with their version of history. America has manufactured a version of history that does not coincide with any of the other recorded versions. But then, being from a state like Arkansas, one can see why one might want to downplay their role in history. The truth is that all of history can't be justified, but that does not mean it shouldn't be known. Look at all the stories in the Bible that are a little less than complimentary of some people. Are you all saying we should ban the Bible? It is interesting many of the people who want to ban the teaching of “Critical Race Theory” are adamant in their demand that a somewhat deceptive version of the Confederacy be taught. In South Carolina, those who are trying to push through legislation calling for the banning of “Critical Race Theory” just got finished paying for the Huntley to be restored and demanding statues and monuments be left standing to honor some less-than-honorable folk. Of course, this was done during a period when they were in control of practically everything. I am not saying, I am just saying. People who are against the presenting of various images, showing what took place during slavery, are selective in the history they want taught. Now there are other names that I could give to those people, but that would only serve to defeat my purpose, which is simply to call attention to the glaring omissions there are in the American version of history.

We shall end this commentary by recommending Blacks take the initiative to start making some demands of our own. All the demands coming forth from Christian Conservatives and the like are being discussed in meetings they are having to discuss what they like or dislike, thereby putting themselves in a position to put demands on their carefully selected representatives. What we are seeing is how much influence those voters have over their representatives. When we begin to meet and discuss our concerns, we too can begin to influence our representatives, instead of allowing them to continue as self-involved operators.

My recommendation for you this week is to Wake Up! Call a few friends and begin to discuss what is going on around you. It just may happen that you all can come up with strategies and ideals to influence the status quo. Small group meetings can lead to larger, more organized groups that can come up with some recommendations of our own about what should or shouldn't be taught as history. In an ideal world the groups will begin to meet across racial, ethnic, religious, social, and cultural divides and begin to discuss progressive ways forward. At present with most of the demands coming forth it appears as if there is only one side meeting. That leaves the other side in the unenviable position of always fighting against something, rather than fighting for something. WAKE UP!

Sincerely Yours, A Message to The Masses.

Elder, James W. Williams

Chairperson, Advocacy Organization, Lifelineplus