Read on Twitter
Ok, it's late enough at night so that I can reveal something about my personal life on Twitter time.
I think I've shared this before, but what initially got me into history as a child was my father making sure I learned about Black American military heroes.
I think I've shared this before, but what initially got me into history as a child was my father making sure I learned about Black American military heroes.
I remember that, by age 5-6, my father would take me to a local Black-owned bookstore in Augusta, GA and I'd pick out one of the books about Black military heroes.
I wish I'd kept those. But they live on in me, I suppose.
I wish I'd kept those. But they live on in me, I suppose.
So, even now, when I teach African American History to 1865, I often spend time on people like Peter Salem or Salem Poor, some of the better remembered Black soldiers who fought for the U.S. in the Revolutionary War.
And, of course, there was the time my father sat me down as a young child to watch "Glory" with him.
I can't imagine having pursued a career in history without him introducing me to a history of Black valor in combat in America's history.
I can't imagine having pursued a career in history without him introducing me to a history of Black valor in combat in America's history.
Now, of course, all of that is complicated. My father served 20 years in the U.S. Army and, like many Black Americans of his (or really any) generation, he has his own complicated feelings about America, patriotism, and so forth.
That's all a long-winded way of me saying that Memorial Day means a great deal to me. I get the sense that it doesn't nearly mean as much to most Americans as it should. But, I digress.
I mean, look at the header image for my Twitter page--it's of Black soldiers entering Richmond, VA in April 1865.
That's probably my top "If I had a time machine and could go back and witness an event" moment on my personal list.
That's probably my top "If I had a time machine and could go back and witness an event" moment on my personal list.
