And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. — John 8:43 KJV
Lately, it feels like there’s a big push to “clean up” history. Between changing what’s taught in schools and removing parts of museum exhibits, it seems like some folks want to hide the hard parts of our past. But as people of faith, we have a spiritual duty to find the real truth, and that truth goes much deeper than just the stories we’ve been told.
Last week, my 15-year-old granddaughter called her mom in tears. Her ninth-grade history assignment was actually titled “Why Whites Are Superior to Blacks.” I spent over 20 years teaching in Montgomery County, and before I retired in 2026, I saw this coming. Teachers would whisper in the lounge about how they had to be careful; even if the history was right there in the textbook, they weren’t allowed to teach it anymore.
I’m writing this because we need to talk about two things. First, we know the history of slavery is real. But second, there is a growing movement of people discovering that Black Americans were original stewards of this land long before the slave ships even arrived.
To understand how we got here, I think back to my college days at Trinity Washington University. I had an older professor who explained that before “race” was used to divide people, Europeans were busy oppressing each other based on class and religion. In Europe, this professor noted, Slavic people were enslaved so frequently that many historians believe that’s where we get the word “slave.” When those lower-class groups came to America, they turned that mistreatment they had suffered into even harsher treatment against Black people, so they could feel superior themselves.
This isn’t just a history lesson; it’s a spiritual wake-up call. We are realizing our ancestors weren’t just survivors of a journey; they were the original caretakers of this soil.
However, we are seeing a massive effort to bury these facts. Since early 2025, the Trump administration has been pushing what it calls “patriotic education.” It has ordered the Smithsonian to focus only on the “brightness” of the nation, even removing over 30 artifacts from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, including items belonging to Harriet Tubman.
In our schools, the government is threatening to withhold funding if teachers discuss systemic racism or use curricula like the 1619 Project. They want “national unity,” but they are achieving it by pressuring teachers into silence. Even at our national parks, there have been moves to eliminate fee-free days on Juneteenth and remove interpretive signage explaining the history of slavery at places like Independence Hall.
While some say they are “restoring sanity” to history, what they are really doing is censoring our story. But man can’t hide what God has already written in our spirits.
My challenge to you: We cannot leave the truth of our heritage in the hands of others. If the schools won’t teach it and the museums won’t show it, then it is up to us to speak it. I am calling on every parent, grandparent and elder: Teach your children our history. Don’t just talk about Black history during February. Sit them down and tell them the stories of our resilience and our roots that go deeper than any textbook. If the truth is to survive for the next generation, it is up to each of us to tell it to our children, families and communities.
I’m taking my own challenge by beginning right here in my weekly column. The Bible reminds us that the truth will make you free.
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, go to her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.
