With the success of Black Panther, it is time to stop portraying the history of black people has a reactionary history; one that portrayed blacks as a passive and not an active contributor to human progress. For too long, all the reciting of black historical events has been grounded in the Civil Rights Era, colonization, and slavery. It is as if black people came into existence only during their years of resistance or exploitation. It is as all the history of black people is made of pain, struggle and suffering. Too many pages and lines are forgotten. The slavery of Africans, the colonization of Africa, and the Civil Rights movement together form a history of struggle, faith and perseverance. But, presenting the history of black people as a single story only deprive us of our humanity and dignity.
The history of blacks does not start and stop at one era. It is not always a reactionary or defensive contribution. It is an active one; the one at the core of human progress (ex: Nubia, Ancient Egypt). The continuous presentation of black history in a passive and reactionary manner perpetuates racial superiority and inferiority among young black children. By narrowing it down to the most egregious era of humanity, we are depriving many of the truth. In reality, the history of blacks is not only a history of struggle. It is the history of the cradle of philosophy, religion and most importantly, humanity. The purpose of teaching our human history is ‘first to make a people aware of their contribution to civilization; and the second lesson is to teach them about other civilizations’ as would say James George. The city of Wakanda and Black Panther provide a great opportunity to get the conversation started.
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