How to Preserve Your Black History

By Willie Brown

When we look at the plethora of information available about Black people today, it’s hard to imagine a time when not much was known or celebrated about Black life.

There was a time, however, when it was illegal for Black people to read.  Slaves were beaten for even trying.  For generations, Black history was shared by word of mouth.

Today, learning about Black history is easy.  It’s entrenched in American culture, in books, film, sports, music, artwork, as well as medicine, engineering, and business.  You don’t have to look far to learn about the brilliant men and women who excelled despite all the road blocks placed in their way.

But what if access to Black history was suddenly taken from us?   How could we leave a legacy of Black history without Black history books?  

If Donald Trump has his way, Black history will eventually die.  He wants to dismantle the Department of Education.  Red-leaning states have been banning books and rewriting black history for the past few years.  They would have us believe that Black history—especially Black slavery—never happened.

But it did happen.  Black history is American history, and we cannot allow far-right extremists to erase our past.

Now, there is a growing movement to expand knowledge of Black history.  In 2023, USA Today reported on an “Underground Railroad” of historians, educators, church leaders and civil rights activists across the nation, working to preserve and protect the accuracy of Black history.  These efforts come in the wake of a crackdown on Black scholars and inclusive lesson plans.  

The urgency to teach Black history has never been stronger.  Churches are holding black history classes during Bible study, Film festivals are showcasing Black historical work and Black politicians are lobbying museums and other institutions to get more involved in preserving Black history.

Last month, the Internet went crazy when rapper Sexxxy Red posted an AI-generated image ofherself standing next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a nightclub.    People were offended and appalled.  Daughter Berniece King was quick to address the disrespect on Instagram, saying, “I earnestly wish that people would imagine what it would look like to see their deceased, murdered father repurposed for party fliers, unjust legislation, etc.”

This is what happens when people don’t identify in a respectable way with their own history.  In not understanding King’s significance to Black history, Sexxxy trivialized the holiday and his legacy.  

It’s going to take a collective effort to ensure that younger generations of Black people learn to honor their history, and by extension, honor and respect themselves.

There may come a time when we will have to go back to sharing Black history through oral storytelling and writing.  But we can start right now by hanging on to our collection of Black literature, music, and films.  We can trace our lineage with the help of DNA testing and family research.    We can introduce story time and teach our loved ones about Black heroes and sheroes.  We can write stories, create audio and video recordings of special occasions.    

There are those who want to stop, rewrite, erase and reverse our history.  But we know too muchnow, have done too much and lived through too much to allow others to erase our memories.  We cannot let the rich legacy of Black history end with us.  We must share it with younger generations.

Regardless of who is in the White House, we have an obligation to spread the truth about who we are and where we come from. As I write this message today, history is being made somewhere by a black person.  Black excellence is happening right now. It must go on.  It cannot stop.  It’s just that precious.  The mantle is in our hands, so let’s pass it on.