Title: Black History Is About More Than Oppression (Opinion)
Headings: Black History Is About More Than Oppression
Black History Is About More Than Oppression
We keep teaching about Black history, not through it
LaGarrett J. King
Black historical consciousness is a set of principles to understand, develop, and teach Black histories that recognize Black people's full humanity.

Content: Examples include recolonizing Africa, homophobia, and sexism during the civil rights movement. If we continue to teach about Black history and not through it, we will perpetuate instructional practices that (intentionally or not) dehumanize Black people, emphasize white supremacy and anti-Blackness, and psychologically harm schoolchildren, especially Black children. The reason why we cannot get Black history right is that we refuse to seriously listen to, understand, and interpret Black historical voices. We fail to listen to Black teachers and educators who have been telling us how to teach Black history for more than a century. We cling to historical fantasies and not historical truths from multiple perspectives. Until we believe Black people are historical vessels, we will continue to suffer from anti-Blackness and an inequitable society that continue to relegate Black histories to the margins. The unbalanced Black histories we continue to propagate as “history” paint Black people as a problem in society and not a solution. Black historical consciousness holds the hope to transform history education and, in turn, society. A version of this article appeared in the February 03, 2021 edition of Education Week as Black History Is About More Than Oppression