As a social studies teacher years ago, I was guiding some junior high students through a unit of study about the years leading up to the Civil War, and we were dealing with the matter of slavery.
During one of our discussions one young lady, a very intelligent African American student near the top of her class, said something about how, "... we were treated."
I said, "Wait a minute. Don't say 'we.' You didn't suffer through those injustices and neither did anyone else living today. And for that matter, no living American today took part in enslaving African Americans back then."
I insisted that we refer to history as in the past, because it is. If we talked about cruel slave-owners, it was "they." If we talked about slaves, it was also "they."
Far too often in schools (and even in some parts of society) such a discussion is done in terms of "we" versus "you."
And that's not appropriate at all.
For many years, the month of February has been set aside as a time in which schools have the opportunity to have an emphasis on the contributions of African Americans.
It is simply called Black History Month, and it is a time in which students can explore a vast array of enriching and encouraging lessons. It is not merely about slavery or past wrongs.
I always looked forward to taking a positive approach with such a tremendous teaching opportunity.
I saw it as a way to appreciate all Americans, cultivate greater unity, promote the dignity of each individual, and to learn that every person is to be valued.
Unfortunately, while we have a great opportunity to help all of our students during Black History Month, schools can squander it away if they don't take the right approach.
Unity and dignity must prevail as the ending point in all lessons. If we fail to do so, we run the risk of setting up a situation in which resentment and discord will follow.
And we already have enough of that in society.
America has some sad chapters in her history, but one of the great things about America is that she eventually sets right many things that were wrong.
When the lessons of history are taught in an irresponsible manner, it tends to promote anger rather than reconciliation.
And we have seen enough of that in society as well.
Make no mistake about it though; in our schools we should look at all of America's history--the good, the bad, and the ugly--and to help young people benefit from it.
When students learn from the great contributions of African Americans such as Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. they may also learn lessons about good character and that's a very good thing.
But to teach children that Thomas Jefferson owned slaves without teaching them that his Declaration of Independence paved the way for all people to be treated as equals is not.
To teach children about the evils of American slavery while failing to teach them that, as Abraham Lincoln put it, "every drop of blood drawn with the lash...[was] ...paid by another drawn with the sword..." is also unfair to America and misrepresents her history.
No, the truth about America is that there are some things in our past that were unfortunate, unfair, and in some cases, extremely evil. But the truth is also that America has been on the march for centuries to make sure that opportunity and justice is extended to all.
The sacrifices made by Americans in the past have made it possible for us to enjoy a tremendous bounty of blessings today.
The sufferings of Americans 150 years ago or more, contain within them lessons for all of us in overcoming adversity.
Those are things that children today should be learning during Black History Month, and every month.
Teaching only about the sins and injustices of the past creates an impression among our youth that America is an evil, evil, place when in reality it's not.
And to foster a jaded and cynical outlook among America's young people is unfair to them, and it can even hamper their own future success.
That's because it teaches them to resent their country rather than taking advantage of the many opportunities she provides.
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David Wilson, EdD, of Springdale, is a writer, consultant and presenter, who grew up in Arkansas but worked 27 years in education in Missouri. You may e-mail him at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 02/08/2017