Black History

A Scholar Who Changed the Conversation On Day 4 of Black History Month, we turn to one of the most influential intellectuals in American history: W.E.B. Du Bois. Born free in Massachusetts in 1868, Du Bois grew up in a relatively integrated community compared to much of the country at that time. His early childhood

Processing Loss Before Remembering Legacy When Reverend Jesse Jackson died, the first reaction for many people was simple sadness. It was not about controversy. It was not about the hot mics or the internal disagreements over the years. It was about losing one of the elders. His name had been in the air for decades.

When Flavor Becomes Familiar There was a time when butter pecan felt like “old people ice cream.” It looked plain sitting next to cookies and cream or rocky road. It did not have dramatic swirls or candy pieces trying to impress anyone. It was beige, nut-filled, and quiet. As children, many of us skipped over

The Importance of Historical Accuracy When we talk about history, especially Black history, accuracy matters. Not because we need perfection, but because the truth is powerful enough on its own. Haiti does not need exaggeration to be extraordinary. The Haitian Revolution was one of the most radical political events in modern history. It was the

A Campaign Many People Forgot When people talk about progressive politics in America, they often jump straight to the 2000s. They mention figures from the last decade and assume bold economic and social ideas are new. But in 1988, Jesse Jackson was already running on a platform that sounds strikingly modern. He was not whispering

Before the Maroons: The Taino and Columbus In 1494, during his second voyage, Christopher Columbus landed on the island the Taíno people called Xaymaca, later known as Jamaica. The Taíno were part of a broader Indigenous Caribbean world with established systems of agriculture, governance, and trade. They were not waiting to be discovered. They had

Beyond the Portrait When most people hear the name Martha Washington, they picture a powdered wig and a formal portrait. She is often remembered simply as the wife of George Washington. That framing is incomplete. Martha Washington was not a passive figure standing quietly beside a revolutionary hero. Before she married George, she was already

What Slavery Tried to Destroy When we talk about slavery, we often focus on chains, forced labor, and stolen freedom. All of that is true. But there was another violence operating at the same time. Slavery tried to destroy connection. It scattered families across states and generations. It sold children away from parents and siblings

A Story Most Classrooms Skipped There are stories in American history that should be common knowledge but somehow are not. Henry “Box” Brown is one of them. He was not a general with an army. He was not a politician with power. He was an enslaved man who decided he would not die in bondage.

Why Some Heroes Are Left Out Many of us grew up learning about kings, presidents, and male generals. Rarely were we taught about Black women who led military resistance against empire. That omission shapes how we understand power. When certain stories are excluded from textbooks, it is not accidental. Education systems often prioritize narratives that