Big 10: 'Black history is American history' – Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

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Updated: March 1, 2025 @ 11:30 am
Williams
Gardner
Joan Walls
This story appeared in ‘Black History In The Making,’ a 16-page special section in the print editions of Friday’s News-Gazette reported and written by Editor Jeff D’Alessio and designed by News Editor Joel Leizer. Click here to subscribe to The News-Gazette. Email ccc@news-gazette.com to order a copy of the special section.
From left, Brishaun Cunningham, LaShaunda Cunningham, Shirese Hursey and Tori Exum share a laugh while handing out fliers to promote MLK Jettie Rhodes Neighborhood Day.
NAACP Champaign County Branch officers, including President Minnie Pearson (center), receive their 2023 Winding Ivy award.
Jeniece Mitchell
LaShaunda Cunningham and daughter Brishaun.
Robert J. Jones
Brittany Simon
Venetria Patton
Rae Fletcher
Marietta Turner

Editor
Gardner
With more local history made this week — first Black Urbana mayor elected (DeShawn Williams), first Black Champaign Central principal appointed (Montia Gardner), we’re rebooting a question we asked in last week’s special section: Should schools teach more Black history than they do now, and how much (or little) of it were you yourself taught?
Williams
“I attended segregated schools in Terrell County, Georgia. So, as part of that experience, Black history was significant in the curriculum — the events, the celebrations, and how people were impacted contemporaneously during what was then the Jim Crow era.
Robert J. Jones
“Today, schools should provide a robust education that teaches about all different peoples in the United States, how they came to be Americans, and how we can support each other in a complex society.
“Black history is an important piece of that, and we must also recognize that our country is growing increasingly diverse with cultures that hold an important history of their own.”
From left, Brishaun Cunningham, LaShaunda Cunningham, Shirese Hursey and Tori Exum share a laugh while handing out fliers to promote MLK Jettie Rhodes Neighborhood Day.
“Black history should be taught in schools from elementary school on up. I know some people may believe that learning about the evils of chattel slavery is too harsh for their children’s delicate constitutions; however, I feel that if Black folk lived through it, surely we can read about it.
“When I was growing up, I learned Black history through living it, and from my parents, in our home. I don’t recall Black history being taught in school at all, even in high school.
“My parents introduced me to Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass when I was in elementary school. My mother told me about Emmet Till, Nat Turner and George Washington Carver.
“I was in second or third grade when Martin Luther King was assassinated. I started kindergarten when Urbana School District 116 was integrated 12 years after Brown vs. Board of Education.
This story appeared in ‘Black History In The Making,’ a 16-page special section in the print editions of Friday’s News-Gazette reported and written by Editor Jeff D’Alessio and designed by News Editor Joel Leizer. Click here to subscribe to The News-Gazette. Email ccc@news-gazette.com to order a copy of the special section.
“When I was a child, we recognized Black History Week. As a junior high and high school student, that week I would be excused from school, by my parents, so that I could sing at different commemorative programs with my church choir. Sometimes it would be a concert, or in the form of an educational type of program, like teaching folks the Negro National Anthem or some gospel songs.
”Black history is American history and should be taught that way. Maybe if Black history had always been included as a part of American history from the beginning, it would not be excluded as American history now. And with that in mind, one could say the same about Black people in America. #blackhistoryourhistory.”
NAACP Champaign County Branch officers, including President Minnie Pearson (center), receive their 2023 Winding Ivy award.
“Yes, schools absolutely should teach more Black history than they do now. Black history isn’t just a side note to American history — it is American history.
“When I was a student, the focus was narrow: we learned about slavery, the Civil Rights Movement and a few key figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. But Black history is vast, stretching from ancient African civilizations to the Harlem Renaissance, to Black innovators, entrepreneurs, artists and everyday changemakers who shaped this country in countless ways.
“Today, there’s more inclusion, but often it still feels surface-level. We need to move beyond the same recycled lessons and dive deeper into the rich, complex narratives that tell the full story of Black contributions to America.
“It’s not just for Black students to see themselves reflected — it’s for all students to understand the complete tapestry of our nation’s history.”
Brittany Simon
“Black History Month is a time to honor a part of American history that is normally left out and diminished. Unfortunately, without taking an intentional time to shine a light on the stories and impact of people who have made this country what it is today, we would get even less of an understanding of our history than we already do.”
Jeniece Mitchell
“Yes, schools should teach more Black history than they do now. Growing up, Black history was taught mostly in my home and through programs my mother started. It was a big deal for us to learn our history and to love heritage, because there is so much hatred and racism in the world.
“Most of what we learned in Social Studies classes was Euro-centric. We got enslavement of African people, Dr. King around his birthday and a little bit about Ms. Rosa Parks. There are so many contributions that Black people have made to American society, from inventions to record-breaking sports and entertainment accomplishments, from breaking political and social barriers to life-saving achievements in the medical field, and the list goes on.
“Students do not learn about the resilience, dedication and intelligence of Black American people that came before them as often as they should. Doing so instills a sense of pride and dignity that helps them think past negative stereotypes, as well as blatant and subtle racial discrimination that seeks to oppress them.
“It also helps them see what is possible for their future and to envision a pathway forward.”
Venetria Patton
“I’m a firm advocate for teaching well-rounded Black history. During my K-12 schooling, I had very little exposure to Black history or literature and what I was taught focused on our enslavement.
“During my undergraduate studies, my literature courses included Frederick Douglass, Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison, and a few poems by James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes. I entered graduate school planning to study T. S. Eliot because I had no conception of Black literature.
“However, my brother shared his reading list from an African American literature course at his university, and my world changed with the discovery of writers like Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston who wrote about Black girls and women.
“I could see myself in the literature in a way that I hadn’t before. This was the beginning of a journey that led me to study African American literature and history and ultimately leading Black Studies programs at the University of Nebraska and Purdue University.
“It’s important for Black and non-black students to understand this mutual aspect of our American history as we are still grappling with race relations.
“We won’t resolve our problems without understanding our shared history and literature is an invaluable insight into our friends and neighbors.”
LaShaunda Cunningham and daughter Brishaun.
“Our schools should undoubtedly place a greater emphasis on teaching Black history, far beyond the current scope. Black history encompasses a rich and significant legacy of contributions by Black ancestors across fields such as science, art, business and culture. Additionally, it reflects the challenges they have faced throughout history, challenges that must be shared and understood.
“In my own educational experience, we were taught about figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass and Jackie Robinson as part of Black History Month programs.
“However, it wasn’t until much later in life that I learned about the broader scope of Black history, including many other influential figures and the stories of perseverance and resilience shown by Black individuals who overcame systemic racism and oppression, yet still achieved success.
“It is essential to study Black history to foster a deeper understanding of the world, appreciate the richness of diversity and advance social justice.”
Joan Walls
“Black History is American history. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of Blacks and a time to recognize their central role in U.S. history.
“It highlights stories, significant achievements and culture that have shaped society and were often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
”However, having a month set aside to acknowledge the past while celebrating accomplishments is important. As far as we have come in our society, there is still systemic inequities and other challenges faced by the Black community.
“Celebrating Black History Month provides the necessary tools to plant seeds of hope and faith to inspire younger generations to achieve their goals and recognize their potential in a society that will one day embrace that history as simply a part of our rich American story.”
Rae Fletcher
“When I was in school, we had assemblies and programs in honor of Black history. I remember when there was no MLK holiday, I learned about Dr. King through school programs and conversations with my parents and grandparents.
“I’m concerned our students are getting that same level of education today. We saw films, took field trips and had discussions during this time. Yes, I know technology has expanded our opportunity to access information, but are students truly understanding what they are reading or seeing?
“Today, MLK is a wonderful national holiday, but what are our students doing when they’re off? Sleeping late? Playing video games? I much rather see non-traditional learning take place on this day, such as taking a field trip to a historic site or gathering at the local library, auditorium or theater to watch, listen and learn about the significant contributions African American made to our society.
”I would also like to see a Black history fair; an event where local students display what the month of February means to them.”
Marietta Turner
“Yes, I wish we could see more Black History taught in the schools. I can’t say that it was taught much in school as I was growing up on the south side of Chicago.
“However, our families taught us about what it meant to be proud to be Black and shared our history with us. My parents talked about their families’ lives in Ohio and Mississippi and what they endured to keep their families protected and together.”
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