IN-PERSON: Applying Education

Abstract

This paper engages an ongoing challenge, which revolves around two key concepts: the fixed and fluid nature of both time and ideas. With respect to the “cycle of time,” the contribution here will be to understand the cyclical nature of time while reconciling with its fluid nature to indeed change. Meaning, when traditional historians approach history, it is mostly a chronological approach that has a set beginning and a specific ending, a bracketing of periods in order to make the larger concepts more digestible along a linear path. Thus, to study change over time, one must pick a place in time and continue forward. My analysis of Black American history offers another approach – namely that rather than move forward within a strictly linear fashion, that time can operate on a cyclical manner meaning that even though the time and date are different, the circumstances and concepts are quite similar, thereby leading to the colloquial expression, “history repeats itself.” History may not repeat itself exactly, but reoccurring themes can indeed be reminiscent, which leads to the tensions surrounding societally shared ideas and the sacrosanct fear of altering “the gospel truth.” As a Historian, I am keenly sensitive to the idea that every new day brings forth the possibility of new discovery — and new, verifiable facts (especially from primary source documents) can provide us with new insights as to how we interpret the past moving forward. With it comes to teaching about race relations, we should not be fearful of the fact that what we teach now, may have to change and evolve as what we know about the past expands with additional research and data mining. We must therefore prepare to change how we interpret the past, with our only obligation being to be consistent with truth-telling. Thus, when it comes to future discussions and teachings about race, we can and should be prepared to change our story, so long as it is a true story.