History, My Story, Our Story

The creation of the United Nations, the end of slavery, the start of the Cold War--we have learned the names of so many events, as well as bits and pieces of what ocurred.  But, as critics claim, history lessons have lacked critical thinking or a deep understanding of cause and effect relationships.  For instance, schools rarely teach why Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery.

African-American thinkers are asking for a rewrite of history, which clearly depicts slavery and its effects on the United States.  Likewise, other minorities want a better discussion of Japanese-American internment camps and European explorers' treatment of American Indians.  Meanwhile, Muslim-Americans may want more discussions in history books of their struggles and accomplishments.

While no history classs can completely discuss any one group that makes up the fabric of our nation, our future generations deserve better history lessons than we have received.  The results willl be better thinkers and knowledge-seekers, who will go on to create a richer society.