American History X

In High School, my history teacher made us watch American History X.

For those who’ve seen it, you know how graphic the movie is. And yet, we sat there, fifteen and sixteen years old, consuming this content with no explanation or breakdown of what we were looking at.

As an adult, I can watch it with new eyes and understand the powerful messages embedded within. But, as a teen, I found the movie disturbing, particularly the part where Derek made that Black man put his mouth on the concrete. It took years for me to get that image out of my head. Even now, if I watch it, I fast-forward past that part. It still disturbs me.

I had never seen anything like that before and was surprised that my white male teacher had allowed us to watch it. Nothing was censored. We saw everything, from the racist violence to the rape in the jail scene. And I had questions no one could answer.

It’s a powerful film with tons of messages about race, racism, and life choices, and it changed me.

I just wish my teacher had given a lesson to accompany it rather than allow us to be babysat by the TV.

This is one of many examples of why I am so adamant about how we present history and teach it. My biggest prayer, and hope, is for the young people coming after me to have a deeper understanding of history in ways I didn’t.

I hope Black History Facts is a start.

Thank you to all who have been on this journey with me since I first announced I was writing a history book three years ago.

Thank you to those who trusted me enough to preorder it so early and for all the love you’ve shown to the history videos on Instagram and TikTok.

Now that the book is out, we can move forward to doing more to help restore black historical truth for the freedom of all people.

This is only the beginning, and I am so humbled to have you with me.

My new book, Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School, is available now on Amazon and everywhere online books are sold!