Christopher Columbus. The man that “discovered” America.
Thomas Jefferson. The author of the Declaration of Independence.
Abraham Lincoln. The president that ended slavery.
These, and so many more white men, were figures we were taught to idolize from a young age.
Growing up, I was taught that our Founding Fathers were heroes that created the United States of America on the values of independence and freedom. White men are the demographic that children are taught to look up to.
What we were not taught was that Christopher Columbus “mutilated and enslaved” Native Americans; Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner; and Abraham Lincoln did not have a preference for destroying or saving slavery, as long as the Union was saved. To be taught this would be shattering the illusion that white men are our leaders and will bring us all to freedom.
I had nationalism instilled in me as early as elementary school. The skin color of the men in my social studies books were the same as mine. I remember traveling to the East Coast, touring museums and being in awe of the great men that could have walked on the same ground I had.
I was proud to be an American. While I still carry a lot of pride for the good this country has done, my pride has been diminished as I started realizing that the history I was taught idolized white people over any other race.
The only black-American history I remember learning about was slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. The only Native American history I remember learning about was the assimilation processes. The only Asian-American history I remember learning about was the Japanese Internment Camps. And I’m sorry to say, but I honestly cannot remember learning about any Chicano history, even though I grew up in Southern California and the Mexican border is less than a day’s drive from where I live. I did not know who Cesar Chavez was until very late in high school.
Even the brief history I learned of the oppression of people of color was a glossy version of it compared to the brutal and bloody truth. On top of this, there were few historical figures that kids with skin colors other than white could feel a connection to, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and barely making the list, Cesar Chavez.
While I believe that having a wider and more inclusive history taught in schools would give students of color a chance to feel deeper relations to the history they are learning, I am not here to speak for them.
I am here for other white people. Learning of the lasting damages that whiteness has created is a vital key to fighting racism. As white people, we need to be able to recognize the root of the irreversible harm that has been inflicted on people of color in order to move forward. It is important to also recognize the diverse and enriching history of the empowerment of people of color. We cannot see people of color as oppressed victims that need saving; but as strong, resilient communities that should be celebrated, not pitied.
History is the key to learn from past mistakes and to celebrate the good things that people of all skin colors have accomplished in and for the United States. It should be used as a necessary tool to create a more tolerant, informed, and united country.
