This week’s ‘Start Where You Are’ Challenge: Ask yourself if and why you feel challenged by other perspectives of American history

Ask yourself if and why you feel challenged by other perspectives of American history. The current administration recently issued an executive order banning diversity training for federal agencies and contractors because it teaches about America’s history of systemic racism. Think about that. The version of American history that many of us grew up with — the narrative that has been crafted by those who have historically had the power to do so — is being challenged and our leadership’s response is essentially to shut it down. Such a reaction sparks a couple questions:

What makes our long-standing rhetoric about bootstraps and equality for all more valid than this nation’s history of slavery and racial injustice?

As an individual, what about your life and your world would change by acknowledging these other facts about our history?

Our nation is relatively young in the grand scheme of things and as new voices are rightfully being empowered, we are being presented with an opportunity for accountability and reflection to own up to and redefine who we are. It would be a shame to squander it just because we refuse to open our minds.

Originally published at https://www.jessicabantom.com on October 28, 2020.