If you had a similar elementary school experience in that your history class was made up of classic american lies, i.e. Columbus discovered america, the civil war was fought to end slavery, and that Lincoln Freed the Slaves, welcome to the club. It wasn’t until I was a whole adult and began reading and learning on my own that the walls of my primary school education came crumbling down. I had so many ah-ha moments I could make Oprah look simple, which if we’re being honest—never mind.
Auntie Assata said it best:
The schools we go to are reflections of the society that created them. Nobody is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that, that knowledge will help set you free. …As long as we expect amerika’s schools to educate us, we will remain ignorant.
Here’s my point. Unless you had an awesomely amazing and quite ahead of their time history teacher, you might as well unlearn 94% of what you learned back in the gap. Including everything you thought you knew about Abraham Lincoln.
I need not slander this long beaked mayo man, he does a mighty fine job telling us who he is all by himself. In the words of abe:
My paramount objective in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union.
Well, abe, tell us how you really feel!
My first impulse would be to free all the slaves and send them to Liberia.
What then? Free them all and keep them among us as underlings?…What next? Free them and make them politically and socially our equals? My own feelings will not admit of this, and if mine would, we well know that those of the great mass of whites will not.
Tell it like it is then, abe!
The great thing about 2015 is that you don’t actually have to take my word on this. I wouldn’t want you to and I don’t expect you to. Thus I have provided receipts. Like a Black man shopping, grab your receipts and hold them high. Get your learn on then share the wealth.
And remember, Lincoln never loved us.
RECEIPTS:
10 Lies Taught to us in School
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln’s Letter to Horace Greely
10 More Common Misconceptions
5 Myths About Abraham Lincoln
The Insane Lie About Slavery That Christian Conservatives are Spreading
7 Lies American Children are Taught About Slavery
Tags: Black History, History, Lincoln, NEVER FORGET, Receipts
2 Comments
I just discovered this series and it keeps getting better…how often do you subscribe to a link, and think, “Ooo history?” Rare and precious indeed. Keep on keepin’ on, and many thanks!
I just reread this and its hilarious. But really Abe, Are you done?