History is something that all of us are immersed in throughout our lives though we are seldom aware of it. The current events of one generation are the history textbook chapters of the next. These simple, straightforward statements...often repeated by my dad during my younger years...really hit home last week...
...as I helped my own daughter read and understand some challenging terminology in a Social Studies textbook chapter focusing on America's Civil Rights Movement and the turbulent events of the 1950's & 1960's. When I was growing up, these events weren't chapters in history books. They were simply black & white pictures flitting across the TV screen in our living room. Nightly news program segments jostling for scant air time and attention amidst a deluge of other news re: the economy, politics, advancements in the field of medicine, the Vietnam War, the Space Race, etc. Looking back and taking into account the sheer volume and broad scope of current events...let alone history, it is no small wonder that much gets lost in the retelling...can easily be manipulated to serve various intents (both noble and questionable)...or is left out altogether.
Something else struck me about the history book that my daughter was slowly reading from out loud. It was far more accurate and balanced than the one I'd studied from at a similar age. It still wasn't perfect, but a clear attempt had been made to present American history warts and all. The material was presented in an interesting and thought provoking manner. The book focused on the birth and evolution of ideas and viable non-violent solutions to historical problems...rather than an endless litany of historical dates and events or the grand and glorious exploits of a few chosen historical "superheroes". As interesting and informative as the writing style of the textbook's author was, it was the visuals... photos of the Little Rock Nine being taunted by an angry white mob or a young black girl walking between long lines of well armed soldiers simply to get to class...that really caught my daughter's attention...that often spoke louder than the words of the text she had just read.
Clearly, presentation and accuracy matter! The history that we learn from school texts, documentary films shown in the classroom, the nightly news or the internet often colors our views for years to come and later serves as a reference point for decisions made as adults. Decisions made from the home to the pulpit...from the street to the workplace...from the ballot box to the very highest levels of government. We are not just the end result of history, we are also its creator. All the more reason to fill in historical gaps, correct the errors and debunk the myths! All the more reason to support projects such as "The Singing Revolution" which try to do exactly that.
With the rise of the Internet ...getting history right is more critical than ever. Just take a look at the steady stream of vitriol, name calling and propaganda being spewed by some as "historical fact" in many reader response sections of Internet news articles and blog postings. The challenge for today's generation is not just how to keep the Internet open...allowing for a free exchange of ideas & information...but also how to curb its user's baser instincts and not provide a soapbox with international reach for the next Hitler or Stalin. Teaching kids common courtesy, de-sanitizing school history textbooks on a global scale and using documentary films both as a teaching tool and classroom discussion starter would certainly be a good place to begin.