As an African American, there are vast areas of our history that I was not aware of. But do not worry, I knew the significance of Juneteenth, and no, Trump did not enlighten me on the matter.

While in high school during Black History, we learned about the usual suspects, and we skated through the Civil War. And I drew anxious gazes from classmates and teachers alike at the thorny issue of slavery. As we watched a plethora of slave-related movies, some of my fellow African American students crouched in embarrassment.

A handful of Black History classes added to my sliver of knowledge in college. The adage that if we do not learn from past mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them in the future. Today, we are at a critical inflection point as the issues of systemic racism threaten to engulf a divided nation. Slavery, violence, and prejudice against minorities are the virulent dark stains on the American tapestry - a litany of broken promises and deadly intent.

1921 Greenwood, Oklahoma: The site of the worst massacres in US history. Greenwood dubbed the Black Wall Street, was a mecca of black prosperity until jealous whites burned it to the ground and slaughtered town residents by the hundreds. Attacks were even launched from the skies as privately owned planes strafed the terrified community below with incendiary devices. Over 10,000 residents were made homeless, and the black lives and prosperity were decimated.

Photos

Justice was denied to the people of Greenwood, nobody was ever prosecuted, and insurance companies failed to honor their obligations to compensate for devastated property and business owners. Today Greenwood is a hollow shell of its former self. Over the decades, infrastructural and commercial development has bypassed the and unemployment rates for minorities remain high.

“This our history. 401-year odyssey encompasses tragedy, triumph, and the indomitable spirit of a battle-scarred people.”

The multicultural hordes on the streets are demanding an end to systemic racism. America's redemption will come when it truly comes to terms with its troubled past. And strive for that elusive, more perfect union.

The euphoria of Obama’s presidency and the potential of a post-racial society seems to have dimmed in the obsidian shadow of Trump's dark American vision.

We can do better and must do better, the people demand it.

For the wider society, learning about black history and being enlightened by it is crucially important in the quest for empathy and mutual understanding. We live in momentous times with a real chance to reset and end systemic racism.

If the chains of the nation's painful past, are broken, then surely we will all be “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.”

Related

The artist stitches together Black history one portrait at a time.

A former art school teacher, Bisa Butler, used the art of quilt making to stitch together the African American experience and celebrate Black life in America.

She transformed their stories onto fabric one portrait at a time.