In the United States today, Black history is a contentious topic. It has been attacked through recent legislative acts in Florida and many other states that discourage the teaching of Black history and African American studies, labeling these courses as “divisive” and as “critical race theory.” What’s more, Mississippi’s implementation of modernized Jim Crow voting and policing laws as well as other head-scratching decisions have further disincentivized educating students on Black history.
Black history in the United States is a multifaceted narrative of slavery and liberty, oppression and development, segregation and, above all, perseverance and accomplishment. Though captive and free Africans were most likely present in the Americas by the 1400s, the abducted men, women and children from Africa who were sold first to European colonists in 1619, then to American citizens, embodied the early years of Black history in the United States.
The destiny of enslaved people in the United States split the country during the Civil War. Following the war, slavery’s racial legacy remained, inspiring resistance movements such as the Underground Railroad, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Selma to Montgomery March and, subsequently, the Black Lives Matter movement. Through it all, Black leaders, artists and writers have emerged to shape the character and identity of a nation.
Black Americans’ opposition to racial inequity has strong roots in American history and has taken numerous forms, ranging from slave rebellions during the colonial era and the Civil War to protest groups in the 1950s, 1960s and now. However, Black Americans have also established institutions to help their communities, such as churches, universities, publications and fraternal groups. These groups and institutions have emphasized the value of liberty, autonomy and equal legal protection.
Although African Americans have come a long way, in some respects, African Americans have scarcely changed as a people. Racial disparities in financial stability persist — for every $100 that white families made in 2018, Black households made $57.30. Moreover, Black households owned only $5.04 for every $100 in wealth held by white families.
In comparison to 1968, Black Americans now rely more on government assistance. A little over 40% of African Americans are impoverished enough to be eligible for government programs such as housing assistance, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other programs that are designed to provide help to low-income families. Twenty-one percent of Asian Americans, 18% of Latino Americans and 17% of white Americans receive assistance.
Of course, there are positive trends. Currently, over 30% of Black males and almost 60% of Black women work in white-collar occupations. Black physicians currently make up about 4.5% of American physicians, up from just 2.2% in 1970. Importantly, and my personal favorite statistic, 38% of African Americans graduate from college now, compared to just 17% 50 years ago.
Origin stories have developed in every culture, and they have all contributed to defining not just a people’s beginnings, but also how we got to where we are as a civilization today. The American creation narrative is centered on liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness. That narrative, like most origin stories, is a combination of fact and fiction. So, in light of Black History Month, let’s celebrate and embrace a history that has been undersold for too long.
A’Davion Bush is a freshman political science major from Indianola, Miss. He is also an Associated Student Body senator-at-large.
