Timbuktu is often mentioned in conversations about isolated places, but this perception overlooks its vibrant history as a center of intellectual and cultural exchange during the 14th and 15th centuries. This city was once a focal point of an African renaissance, where scholars, poets, and students gathered to share ideas and foster learning.

Carter G. Woodson is widely celebrated as the Father of Black History, a title he earns through his foundational work in establishing Negro History Week, which eventually grew into Black History Month. This initiative transformed how America reflects on its past.

The struggle over what is taught in schools often reflects deeper societal conflicts about power, identity, and control. From the anti-literacy laws of the 1800s, which aimed to keep enslaved Black people from reading to today's debates over Critical Race Theory (CRT) and book bans, the fight for knowledge has always been connected to the fight for freedom.