The Future Has a Past

A word about American history

Titus Kaphar, Behind the Myth of Benevolence, 2014 (oil on Canvas)

“The painting is about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings and yet it is not. …The woman who sits here is not just simply a representation of Sally Hemings, she’s more of a symbol of many of the Black women whose stories have been shrouded by the narratives of our deified founding fathers.” ~ Titus Kaphar

I grew up in a Black elementary school where the principal was Black, many of the teachers were Black, the students were Black, and the neighborhood was Black. Black History Month included Black history facts during the morning announcements, reading Black literature, and discussing historical Black heroes. Because we were a school of color, Black history was always woven into the curriculum throughout the year. These learning opportunities shaped my perspective to see Black people, not as an American subset but as Americans. Had my elementary school teachers waited until February to dive deep into Black American con…