Misunderstood Struggle
MISUNDERSTOOD STRUGGLE Do we really have a great understanding of our past, to understand our future? As stated in Lerone Bennett's “Black History/Black Power”, “History is not something added to life; it is not something you read about in textbooks and view from afar as a spectator”, the main truth about history is the specific knowledge from relationships of our people. Black people and black history have always had a middle blockade when it comes to the past and the future. Of course the past should never be forgotten or minimized, but what if it's wrong or tainted. From what we learned, history is everything. But us as black people can't be given a false identity. Without history we'll just be in a world with a unknown past and no hope for the future. From Bennett's point of view, history is precisely knowledge, identity, and power. But what power do we have if we're not the ones who are telling it. Black history is often at times misconstrue, certain facts and “edgy” information is diminished. What Lerone Bennett, a Mississippi resident looks to imply is if our history as black individuals is not put in full perspective for the future to comprehend. People need history to make history, especially black people. We as a people cannot move forward without looking back of course. As Bennett says “a conscious black man cannot avoid using black history in the pursuit of his purposes.” Have we tainted the history and has our interpretation been looked down upon. Our experiences need to be accounted for. We are the wave to our own historical current. Black history needs understanding from all sides of the coin. When one talks about black history, that intertwines with American history. Me as a black individual needs history to have that sense of identity and knowledge that shows my people's struggle for power. But where does it start, where does one go to obtain that truth and keep it within themselves to spread to others. Looking back at our history