Brought Back To Earth
Holes in Our History
After the hustle and bustle of the work week, the weekend offers a chance hopefully to slow down and engage in moments of reflection. Lately, I find myself thinking a lot about the past, both because I find it inherently interesting and because I think it helps make sense of the present. The idea of history carries extra weight now as we see many cynically trying to rewrite, or write out of existence, history we should be working on remembering, not forgetting —from the distant annals of slavery to the events of January 6.
Last week I wrote about the Tulsa Massacre and called it a “hole in our history.” By that phrase I meant an event worthy of lengthy examination that has been largely forgotten. Lately, the horrors of what happened in Tulsa a century ago have gotten belated recognition. That is a positive development but it also shows how much we have to learn about the country we think we know.
The past looms large over us, in ways good and bad. And I plan to make “holes in our history” a common theme on Steady.
In this spirit, I wanted to share a short film for this week’s “Weekend Watch.” It tells the story of Edward Dwight, Jr. That his name has been largely forgotten is a national shame. He was set to become the first Black astronaut and his story deserves to no longer be a hole in our history.
I hope you find this film as worthy of your time and attention as I have. Please let us know what you think about it and the general idea of “holes in our history” in the comments section. And add your own nominations for moments, people, books, artistic expressions or other elements from history that we need to resurrect in our national consciousness.
Thank you all, as always,
Dan and Steady Team
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"You can teach your brain to help you, or you can teach your brain to destroy you. And your brain will react to what it's been told." ~Mr. Edward Dwight, Jr.
His words in this short film, hit me hard. This goes for all of us. Our brain reacts to what it's been told... and without an honest accounting of our history, all of it, we continue to react to so many untruths about each other. About who we really are...
Today, would have been my mama's birthday. She died at 49. She was nobody to the world, a housekeeper, a teacher's aid, but she was everything to me. I was just a kid. But I wonder how knowing this story or so many others would have changed her life. Even if it was the same, there's a joy in seeing someone who looks like you, achieve and -- it gives you hope and a satisfaction in knowing you too are worthy. I don't know how to explain it. Mr. Dwight not being selected is the first sadness, but not knowing his story, is tragic...just like Tulsa and so many others.
Until now.
Yes, please do Holes in Our History. I look forward to learning more. And I am grateful for this gift this morning as I think of my mom and her contributions to this great world of ours!
Look forward to watching the op-doc. Yes HiOH a good idea. But of deeper interest: who were the leaders who either ripped those holes or quickly covered them up? The school boards who struck down the textbooks that might have included details or mention? This is when active voice is absolutely necessary. Holes weren’t made or left empty. Someone(s) dug them or filled them with falsehoods.