The need to change the narrative and obsessively re-paint the American side of historical events only gives power to the bigoted ideologies our country was founded on. By painting over the truth with a prettier picture, we allow for these deeply sinister ideologies to persist. Racism continues to inform our school curriculum, our legislature, and our ever day interecations. Denying accountability for these massive crimes against human rights, we are both acknowledging how unnatural slavery is while allowing the space for it to continue happening. Slavery was so terrible that Americans had to do something about it and "save the day " and yet continue to imprison citizens in a justice system that's consistently flawed and force them to put out our forest fires. How can we be aware of how horrendous something is then re-package and sell it to our citizens? Partly due to the lack of transparency and accountability of our shameful history.

Often people will discuss if violence is ever acceptable when debating the actions of the oppressed. This debate feels silly to me and often skirts around the core of the matter. The oppressor will often come up with never-before-seen brand-new full proof ideas of "peaceful protest" and "civil disobedience". The point being that "violence is bad" while never acknowledging that oppression is violence. It does not matter how the oppressed chooses to free themselves. Human beings are the only being on the planet that are expected to "please and thank you" themselves out of a cage. A lion isn't expected to be kind to its hunter.