Most people think they know Black history because they can name a few moments, recognize a handful of dates, and recall a few speeches they were taught mattered. And yet, many of those same people are consistently surprised by the present, by backlash, by retrenchment, and by how fragile progress actually turns out to be.

Public memory isn’t just about what we remember; it’s also about what we’re told to forget. Right now, in America, government officials are quietly removing critical evidence of slavery, racial violence, and resistance from our parks and classrooms. This leads to a future where justice is disconnected from truth, and “patriotism” is used to excuse this erasure.