It’s Black History Month — the one month a year when Americans take time to recognize the contributions Black Americans have made to this country since they were first brought to the U.S. and enslaved.
It means celebrating luminaries like Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress; poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, and so many others.
But this year’s celebration feels different. Since 2021, at least 18 states have imposed bans or restrictions on teaching topics of race and gender, according to reporting by Education Week. Some of these bans have even led to the banning of books written by Black authors — which we highlighted on the podcast in the past.
In today’s episode, we look at why, despite pushback, telling the stories of Black Americans remains an integral part of understanding U.S. history.
Listen above.