The final post about questions you didn't ask...
This is the third in a three part series. If you didn’t catch the first two you can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
As always, these are my thoughts and ideas. It’s based upon a number of years of research BUT I am only human and so I can only see some parts of it. So take these points as springboards to have further discussions.
So, on to the show!
The final reason I share what I know about the past is one word–Education!
We all know the saying “Those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it.” It’s applicable for the state of our education system in Canada. Although I know we can’t teach our children everything, our polite Canadian society has avoided discussing many difficult topics for years.
We’ve neglected to make this common knowledge. There’s no clear cut reason why perhaps out of shame or a need to “look good” to others. But in doing so we’ve done a great disservice to future generations.
As a teen I didn’t learn much of what I call “hidden history” in school. Black history was a watered down version of heroes of America. Even today during Black history month we focus on African American heroes instead of recognizing those who’ve made great leaps and bounds in Canada.
It was not that long ago that the existence of Viola Desmond, who stood up to injustice much like Rosa Parks did, was unknown until her story was brought to light in 2010.
Learning more about our true past makes it difficult to make the same mistakes moving forward. The knowledge of our full history is a gift to our children. One that we’d be wise to share.
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That’s the end of my three part series. I hope it helps to clarify why I share this info on my socials. This doesn’t mean I know everything or that this knowledge will fix anything in and of itself. However, information is power and acknowledging our past means we can move forward with confidence.
Not all of my posts will be this heavy but I will be touching on hidden history in the future. I hope you’ll join me as I learn and grow.
Be well.