History is something you achieve. by James Baldwin . Nigeria School History Lesson On My Mind.

[Abraham Madu]

This moment from JB’s 1963 speech in Harlem has been on my mind.

When he says, “History is not something you study. History is something you achieve,” he’s doing much more than criticizing what was left out of school textbooks. He’s asking a deeper question: What is education actually for?

Later that yearn in “A Talk to Teachers”, JB argues that the purpose of education is to create people who can examine the society they’ve inherited rather than simply accept it. But that kind of education is impossible if we aren’t willing to tell the truth about history.

If we’re serious about asking about the kind of witnesses we are raising, we also have to ask, “What history are we teaching?”

What realities are we helping people confront?

These are the kinds of conversations we’ll be exploring through “A Talk to Teachers: The Witnesses We Raise” with For My People Productions . I am so excited about the panel!

Follow For My People Productions for upcoming conversations, announcements, and giveaways.

Stay tuned—our date has been set. We’ll gather on Saturday, September 26, and I’ll be sharing more details soon. I hope you’ll join us.

+ Audio: James Baldwin speaking in Harlem, 1963

.

#jamesbaldwintaughtme #baldwinite #jamesbaldwin #iamnotyournegro #baldwinesque