It’s Black History Month, and each day, story after story, there seems to be some echo of how far we, as a nation, have to “over come”. Just in the past two weeks, Gucci has managed to muster up an apology for Blackface images on an $800 sweater. At least 4 politicians, including Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam, have pictures floating around in blackface. And if that wasn’t enough, Liam Neeson confessed to wanting to murder any black bastard he caught, for the “alleged” rape of his friend. People, we aren’t even half-way through February and it’s like they keep trying us! Though these stories are frustrating, these racists revelations merely scratch the surface of the reality of how it was, and still is, growing up black in America. This is why the National Action Network (NAN) must stop asking the Citadel to remove racist, blackface images, from any historical yearbooks that are a part of that Institution.
This week, the Charleston Chapter of the National Action Network held a press conference to bring to light some racists images that were sent to them from a few old yearbooks located in The Citadel’s library. Elder Johnson, NAN’s President and a few of his supporters decided that the pictures should be removed from the yearbooks. The question we have for NAN is, WHY?
The Real Stories Are Being Erased
Why would we not want future students, especially future students of color, to understand the complete history of in institution like The Citadel. The way an institution takes accountability for their past is by facing it, not by tearing the pages out and deleting it forever. Many in this country know the glorious history of The Citadel, but as an institution that was once all male and all white, there is also some tainted history. That dark history should also be shared, not destroyed or simply torn out of the pages of a yearbook.
There is already a push in our education system to drive young people into thinking that racism in this country really wasn’t “that bad”. Instead of books stating Africans were slaves, they are now calling them “workers”! Texas Mother Teaches Textbook Company A Lesson On Accuracy. Educators have also long taught us that Thanksgiving wasn’t a Holocaust, it was a celebration between Pilgrims and Indians – another lie!
The education system in America has not even scratched the surface of telling the real atrocities of what has happened, and what is happening to black people in this country, so why are we working so hard on trying to erase what needs to be told? Citadel leaders are now promising to remove blackface images from past yearbooks, but is this really in the best interest of understanding not only the history of the Citadel, but the history of the Charleston, the South and growing up black in a country that hated you for being black?
NAN, This Is A Disservice
In this instance, the few members of NAN are not representing the people, and have not made a wise decision in another attempt to speak on behalf of the black community. Before NAN continues to go out and hold these impromptu, dry press conferences, perhaps they should meet with their community in making such an impactful request. There must be thought, and common sense input on the impact of how erasing these images will have on future black students that will attend The Citadel.
Future students and cadets should be able to see these images, discuss them, share them, and understand the impact they, as a student of color, have on becoming a part this institution. They should know not only what happened to Charles Foster, the first black graduate from the Citadel, but also Shannon Faulkner – the first woman to attend The Citadel. Future students should also know and understand what it was like for the first class of African American female cadets to graduate from The Citadel. They should know all of the history-making tails of these trailblazers, but future students should also know the demons that had to be fought in order for history to be made.
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