We must not forget

History has shown that a people who survived slavery, bigotry and prejudices for centuries and emerged into a creative, artistic and resourceful ethnic group must be exceptional. We think we can overcome almost anything. We fight racism, bigotry and job discrimination on a daily basis.

History is a powerful companion, and too much of ours has been lost, stolen and ignored. A nation deceived about its past can be easily manipulated today. Those who write the history books mold the thinking and set the agenda of future generations.

Modern “education” has only made the problem worse. Textbooks not only contain many lies and errors, but they also ignore extensive parts of the past. More space is given to pop heroes such as Elvis Presley than to the true heroes of our nation, such as Crispus Attucks.

It has been said that he who controls the past controls the future, and our view of history shapes the way we view the present. Significance is determined by those who write it, and it is their personal choice in deciding what about the past is important. Historians tend to tell stories which reflect their values of the society in which they live.

Media images over the years have made some if not most black people ashamed of their African ancestry. Incorrect media portrayals shape perceptions and the way in which people act toward one another. Depicting Tarzan and Jungle Jim as rulers of the African continent and the native people as savages does not show how people of color fit into the fabric of the world.

The portrayal of black people as aggressive or criminals is understandable considering the endless stops, searches and abusive behavior by some police officers. Certainly not the majority, but a small minority of racist officers often act on their biases with impunity. While African Americans and other racial minorities have made gains toward equality, there is a history in this country of black men and women being falsely accused of crimes they did not commit and it is rooted in racism. The U.S. Department of Justice recently substantiated this abuse.

And describing all young African Americans as hip-hop and gangsta rappers to our African counterparts does not help Africans receive a true picture of blacks in America. The media shapes its audience’s definition of what it is to be black or what it is to be African instead of equally representing all sides.

We must not forget our heroes and heroines. How often do you hear the names or reports on Absalom Jones, Richard Allen, Ira Aldridge, Ambrose Caliver, Charles Hamilton Houston, Elmer Simms Campbell, Mae Jemison, Albert J. Cassell, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, Alice Dunnigan, Osceola, Osman, Tom Molineux, John Jones, James Varick, Edmonia Lewis, Elizabeth Greenfield, Frances E.W. Harper, Henry O. Flipper, or John Mercer Langston? 

We must not forget, and we must research and learn of those persons that are new to you. You must.

Please watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday night at 10 p.m. and Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. on KNLC-TV Ch. 24. I can be reached by fax at (314) 837-3369 or e-mail at: berhay@swbell.net. Or on Twitter @berhay.