Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Recognizing Forgotten American History

There's a lot more to American history than what meets the eye --- and Sabrina Boykin helps us unpack this as we all move toward unity in this country.

On our Tuesday, August 6 Mindful Discussion, we unpacked the importance of confronting history. In today's era, we are constantly living through history, whether it be political, social, or environmental; and these conversations are so important because they provoke us to learn from our past mistakes and find ways to move forward in a positive direction.

The first step to this goal is recognition.

Confronting history means examining the good, the bad, and the ugly so that we don't repeat our mistakes. Our Mindful Discussion featured the story of Smoky Hollow in the 1950s, a Black middle-class neighborhood in Tallahassee, Florida that was home to several prominent Black figures in American history. Those figures include Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos cookies, and Nat and Cannonball Adderley, two famous jazz musicians during their era.

Among the most famous citizens of this town was John G. Riley, a civil rights leader, educator, community leader and property owner who was born a slave and dedicated his life's work to establishing freedom and prosperity for the next generation. By the time of his death in 1954, he was a millionaire.

John Gilmore Riley portrait.

Today, the Riley house is named after him as a symbol of the successful Black growth in Tallahassee during his era. It is now known as the Riley Center and Museum of African American History and Culture.

Our Mindful Discussion also recognized the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan, home to over 30,000 artifacts of history. It is regarded as the "largest institution dedicated to the African American experience," featuring symbols of the past struggles of Black Americans as they strived for equality and freedom in the United States.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (Detroit, MI)

We must fight to keep our museums and preserve the rich history that they represent; without them, we wouldn't know who laid the groundwork before us to get where we are today.

The second step to unity is dialogue.

As citizens, we have to continue talking about these issues and focus on moving forward so that we do not repeat the past. Open, unfiltered discourse, like the discourse we encourage in each Mindful Discussion, allows us to break down barriers and focus on learning (or un-learning) society's pre-existing norms. We must continue having honest conversations about history because that will be the difference between progress in our nation and regression to scarier times in America's past.

And remember:

Always Be Mindful of your impact, Be Purposeful in what you do, and Be Positive in what you say.

Best,

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