:: Lies + Untruths + Fallacies

It is no secret that America has had a hard time truly accepting the atrocities of its past. From the blatant "brushing over" of slavery as a substantial and pivotal moment in America's history to the near and almost complete erasure of the fact that Native Americans called this land HOME first, America has had a nasty knack for promoting itself as this grand "melting pot," open to all, but truly only committed to serving and benefiting the few (the Caucasian). The pursuit for freedom and happiness has always been conditional, though America has tried very hard to masquerade as a country full of UN-conditional love. Yet, what America fails to forget, that which is done in the dark will always rise to the light. Slowly, but surely, its ugly is starting to show and America is having a difficult time trying to mend its image within the eyes of its own and those outside looking in.

Seemingly, failing at doing just that, "mending," America still has a long way to go before its wrongs are made right. Even despite, many still have a muster seed size of hope. Hope for a better today. Hope for a better tomorrow. Because, unlike before, those left with their voices smothered and oppressed, are now bringing awareness to the sides of the story, the sides America is most ashamed of. With voices ringing high and proud, the light is being shown on what has been systematically swept into the dark. And because knowledge is power and sharing that power is where change can begin to start, many of these strides to right the wrongs of America's past are starting at the foundation: in the home.

Because the falsehoods and misrepresentations of America’s beginnings have been tailored to glorify the Caucasian, it only makes sense that to avoid continuing to pass flawed historical facts, the planting of seeds infused with the truth are pertinent to educating the youth of today on what has been lost and hidden from the tailored history books. One beautiful example of this can be seen with one young black student’s journal entry to his teacher regarding the “whitewashing” of the history lesson taught in class.

After speaking with his mother about the meaning of Columbus Day as explained by his teacher that day in class, eight-year-old King Johnson, crafted his journal entry explaining to his teacher his frustrations with that day’s lesson and the lies clearly infused within the lesson taught. With his mother taking the time to use Columbus Day – a day students are awarded off from attending school in celebration of a moment in history that is highly controversial – King learned a bit deeper into the history of the foundation of America, starting with the Native America’s preexistence in America prior to Columbus sailing to the Americas. Beginning his letter with the blunt truth that, “Today was not a good learning day. Blah, blah, blah,” he wrote. “I only wanted to hear you not talking. You said something wrong and I can’t listen when I hear lies.” King aptly reminds his teacher about the plight of the Native Americans and how it would essentially be impossible for Columbus to have founded America when the Native Americans were already here. Finishing his entry with the pivotal question: “How can white people teach black history?” King opens the door for the teacher to have a dialogue with him about how to begin the proce