Esau McCaulley‘s Guest Essay for the New York Times explores the evolution of his understanding of Black History, ultimately arriving at the conclusion that “[African American history] is not a series of heroics or forgotten contributions. It is a different telling of the American story altogether…”
“Black history, then, should be a challenge to our Republic and its core narrative. Instead of quibbling with this detail or that, it must raise a fundamental question about the quality of life Black people have been allowed to experience. If we are indeed a part of this nation, then our lives and experiences have a claim on our national narrative. African American history forces us to view the Black experience of injustice not as the interruption of or caveat to an otherwise grand narrative, but as a compelling story in its own right.”