Fighting Efforts to Erase Black History and Telling the Whole Story

Whether its deleting prominent African-American historical figures from government websites, attempting to close a display showcasing George Washington's employment of slave labor or censoring exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution which illustrate the horrors of slavery, the Trump administration has been unrelentless in its efforts to "sanitize" American history and end what it calls, a "corrosive ideology"  undermining American ideals.

In the process, however, the administration is erasing the significant contributions of people of color who helped build and shape the nation.

For communicators who are committed to telling the truth, good and bad, and are dedicated to providing an honest appraisal of the nation's complex and often tortured history, the challenge is how to push back against Trump and ensure that the entire American story, warts and all, is being told.

To get their perspectives, CommPRO spoke with several journalists, academics and communication professionals.  Their comments are particularly timely as the nation currently is observing the 100th anniversary of Black History Month this February.

Picking up on the anniversary theme, Ernest L. Wiggins, an independent scholar and Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina's Journalism School, urges the news media to revisit the story of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the originator of Black History Month, which began as Negro History Week back in the 1920s. 

"I think Woodson's personal story is just as important as those he sought to preserve and present through the promotion of Negro History Month in February and through the Journal of Negro History, which he founded  in 1916, and his many books and articles," Wiggins observes.

He points out that Woodson's parents were formerly enslaved, and Woodson himself was committed to shaping his own story through formal education -- he was the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard -- and social action -- he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915.  

"Woodson worked to fill the gaps in public knowledge about African Americans," Wiggins says,"  and  is considered by many to be the "Father of Black History." He suggests that the media consider running this famous quote from Dr. Woodson's book,  The Mis-Education of the Negro, as representative of his personal philosophy: “When you control a man’s thinking, you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder.  He will find his 'proper place' and will stay in it.”

Building on Woodson's contributions to the Black narrative, Delores J. Brooks, a longtime Chicago writer and marketing professional, notes that "American history is replete with the contributions of African-Americans to every facet of life from peanuts to aerospace." 

With a US president and his administration resolved to erase Black history from America, Brooks believes that it is more critical than ever for communicators to err on the side of truth and thorough fact-checking. 

"This material has essential relevance to the development of a nation that seeks greatness, and it is vital to the panorama of knowledge, accuracy, and comprehension of this country’s evolving story," she maintains.

Brooks adds that communicators, in fact no one in America, can allow mis- and disinformation, lies, dismissal, conspiracy theories and outright elimination to erase the progress, advancements, enrichment and diverse experiences that African-Americans have delivered to our country. 

"And as a Black professional, mother and grandmother, our future generations of all races deserve nothing less than the truth!"

To help ensure that happens, Brooks urges that bold steps be taken immediately.

Among them are flooding the White House and Republican members of Congress with messages opposing Trump's withholding funds from institutions promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI); prevailing upon the media to track every institution and/or city, state by name and amount of money withheld by Trump from that institution to see where those funds are being redirected; suing Trump via class action lawsuits for withholding funds already approved by Congress; setting up a Black history watchdog agency that can track and report on the collective losses in history relative to African-Americans to hold Trump and Republicans accountable for their destruction; and asking schools to solicit ideas from elementary and high school students for ways we can preserve, maintain and expand our Black history archives.

While acknowledging that these steps all require strong, committed resources and follow-through, she maintains that they are essential to deactivate and obstruct the Trump administration's harmful actions. "Communicators can offer their time and talents, individually and collectively, to write proposals for funding for any or all of these ideas," she points out.

Ellen Ferrera, contributing writer for the Moultrie County (Illinois) News-Progress and founder and past president of the Illinois Association of Non-Profits, agrees that Black history is intricately woven into the American tapestry and as such should be celebrated by all.

“There is not a single area of endeavor be it arts, sports, literature, politics education, business or whatever where our Black countrymen and women have not contributed and excelled," she maintains. While noting that while much has been written about Black History in America, Ferrera argues that there are still many more untold stories hidden in archives, libraries and local historical societies.  There are many who could contribute to the oral history as well.

"I would encourage those in the media to seek out the untold stories and add to the tapestry," she says.  " A case in point is a news outlet in Decatur, IL  researching a local Black educator and in the process, discovered that he was the first Black graduate of Harvard."

Ferrera notes that there are untold stories, for example, about the “safe houses” on the Underground Railway around Oak Park and River Forest, Illinois, and other places.  

"Many of these houses still exist," she says. "There is a working mill near Oak Brook, IL, for instance, that was part of the Underground Railway and houses, in the basement, a small museum of the mill’s part in helping escaped slaves on their journey to freedom."

She believes that media people can be catalysts in telling the story by working with community groups to create unique programs such as organizing poetry readings of works by Black authors, or a community potluck featuring soul food, food from Africa or the Caroline low country.

Ferrera also supports a silent film festival of Black directors and actors.  She points out that Jacqueline Stewart a Black professor at the University of Chicago, hosts silent films on TCM Sunday nights and often features the Black silent films.  "There were many Black directors and actors in the silent film area," she observes. "They just weren’t as famous as Chaplin."

She emphasizes that almost any program created could be a news feature, magazine article, documentary or a book for posterity.  

"Communicators need to seek out and tell the untold stories of Black History that belongs to all of us!"

Adding a Gen Z perspective on celebrating Black History Month is Robert McClain, a recent Columbia College Chicago grad who formerly worked as a Marketing Operations Coordinator.

Though McClain argues that confining those accomplishments to a single month does a disservice toAfrican-Americans, particularly members of his own generation many of whom never get a thorough grounding in American let alone Black history.

"One month cannot carry the whole story of Black history," he maintains, noting that it cannot be a theme for 28 days or simply a logo that gets replaced when March 1st arrives. 

Echoing the comments of Sara Clarke Kaplan, executive director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. who said that "There is no American history without African American history," McClain emphasizes that It is part of the foundation of this country, which, contrary to some beliefs, is reflected in our nation’s progress, struggles, numerous cultures and our institutions.

"If we were to truly value and honor the history we reflect on in February, then the conversation should never end there." According to McClain, brands, conversations, and people should avoid drawing a line in the sand within a single month. 

"The exploration and celebration of Black history should continue in classrooms, in community gatherings, and every voice should have a seat at the table throughout the year," he urges.  "It should shape how we talk about our nation’s past and how we can move forward together, with honesty about both the good and the difficult chapters. February can be a beginning, but the commitment has to last far longer than a single month."