From The Editor February – The Truth About Sisterhood

From The Editor

Black History Month

08 February 2024

Politics aside, America is being challenged to erase history. Remarks suggesting that slavery was not intended to divide but a necessary occurrence and hyperbolizing ignorantly that Africans brought here came willingly because of their slave trading practices, chose to be treated inhumanely, and benefited from this treatment are beyond ludicrous. The dangers of accepting these false narratives go way beyond a vote. It presents a delusion that man is perfect; there is nothing to learn. This delusional thinking harms children rather than protects them from learning about the atrocities of slavery, America’s unsavory history, and the power of forgiveness. Children will grow up and may struggle to understand their power and place in society and how to navigate those paths freely through acceptance and growth. Our children deserve better.

How does one refute hard evidence of the atrocities of slavery? The pictures, stories, and historical documents written by our forefathers acknowledge the ownership of slaves. Their surnames were given to the slaves that we still use today. If America wants to erase slavery or prop it up like a floozy hypocritically, then it must erase not just the bad but the good too. Let’s start from zero. Even the playing field. No one can use the argument of inferiority. At all. She must erase the 400-year head start of benefits. I would recommend starting with the wealth gap, credit scoring, codes, excess taxes, and interest, fair treatment in justice, and the dismantling of supremacy groups. There is no supremacy when you erase slavery.

The argument that slavery benefited Africans, who were already highly skilled and civilized, is not even worthy of a rebuttal. It’s 2024, and successful, African Americans are still identified as “The first black…” The N-word is still used as an insult to define African Americans as dumb, ignorant, liars, and thieves. Erasing slavery means that word gets erased too and by all.

Given that there are growing numbers of individuals and groups that want to ban books and erase our history because they are given the stamp of approval via silence from supposed allies and laws like Roe versus Wade being overturned, it’s clear America is headed in the wrong direction after decades of progress. We can forget about being great again, let alone at all. It’s not about reparations. It’s about healing. We cannot heal from what we fail to acknowledge.

"Teach them so the stench of hatred isn’t assigned to them unfairly and accepted."

Our children deserve to see the photos and to learn about one group deciding without any valid research that the other group deserved to be treated inhumanely and how power and money corrupt. It will be repeated if we fail to teach them about the past. With the advancement of humanity and no recourse or acknowledgment of our past failures, our children will aimlessly and poorly navigate relationships with others because they will be living a lie.

Failing to expose a great-grandfather’s sins while uplifting him has already proven to do more harm than good. Reality checks, karma, or fate do not take sides. Teach children the truth so they can experience people fully and have a sound understanding of what slavery did to a large group of Africans and their descendants. Teach them so their hearts won’t be hardened too. Teach them so they can feel okay about being drawn to others, and it’s not embarrassing to explore it. Teach them so their thinking isn’t skewed or stunted. Teach them so the stench of hatred isn’t assigned to them unfairly and accepted. In their power, they can acknowledge and rightfully choose their paths. Teach them so they develop into healthy individuals with empathy and open hearts. Teach them so they can learn about resilience and forgiveness. Teach them so division will stop and Americans, white, black, and brown, can collaborate more, further advance our society, and not waste time fighting against each other. Slavery had everything to do with racism and an individuals placement in society.

We learn from our failures. When we ignore them, we make the same mistakes. We don’t grow. If America refuses to acknowledge all of its history, the rules should change. A win is a win. It’s only fair.