I am sure most are familiar with the saying, “Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it,” or, “History repeats itself” or some such comment. More recently, I have heard several people comment that you must face history and acknowledge it before you can learn from it.
Considering these comments, I am writing a series of posts – I do not know how many – about events in the history of racism, primarily in the US. Many of the posts will be about events I am only now learning about myself, so they fit my overall theme well. These posts will be written near the time of year that they occurred, usually.
There will be posts like those I have already written as well, mixed in. Life is complex, and interesting, after all.
But I think that it is important that we face history squarely and understand where we have been. It is often quite illuminating of where we are. I do not intend to add commentary or make extensive editorial comments, though I suppose I reserve the right to do so. I plan to share links to my sources and to places where you can read more information. I also welcome your thoughts in response and suggestions regarding events I may not yet have learned about.
I would say that I hope that you enjoy the posts, but the truth is, I do not wish that anyone would enjoy these types of posts. They are intended to confront, to challenge, to present the history that is the foundation for so much of what we see today. My hope is that we will learn from the past and stop repeating it.
But even more than that, I hope that we can see people around us with compassion and care. Because sometimes the best way to avoid repeating the atrocities of yesterday is simply to care today.
I hope that we might also find a few new heroes along the way.
Thank you for joining me in my journey of discovery.