(By Alexis McCarney ’25, staff writer)
It has been rooted in American culture from the conception of the nation to oppress individuals
of African origin and descent. Efforts such as redlining, Jim Crow laws, among other
discriminatory institutionalized practices have been made to prevent the advancement of this
group. Movements in the twenty-first century have attempted to address these concerns that are
still prevalent, such as the Black Lives Matter Movement, which has been villainized as a radical
campaign. These attitudes work to actively discredit and downplay the treatment African
Americans have endured.
Fuel has been added to the fire recently regarding African American history, which has long
been a topic of debate due to its sensitive nature. The current presidential administration is
actively trying to dismantle the Smithsonian Institution, which has an entire museum dedicated to
African Americans’ history. It has been called “unAmerican” by the president of the United
States, who claims it stands in opposition of the founding fathers’ statement that “all men were
created equal,” without acknowledging the “three-fifths clause.”
Lebanon Valley College’s art department provided students an opportunity to visit Washington
and tour the museum in March. The students who attended found immense value in the
information they learned on the trip.
“The history is absolutely heart wrenching and walking through the museum makes you feel like
you can go back [in] time and watch it all unfold,” Kathryn Shanaman, junior at LVC, said.
One of Shanaman’s favorite exhibits displayed props, costumes, and belongings of African
American artists. This history brought to her awareness the volume of art and media that is
produced by African Americans.
“Of course, I was aware of the racism in society and the government systems, but it never
occurred to me to think of art in a way that accounts for the artist’s history and life to shine
through,” Shanaman said.
While on the trip, Shanaman did not notice if there were any impacts on the displays in
conjunction with the attacks on the Smithsonian Institution. However, another student who
attended noticed some items were missing from displays, but was unsure if the reason was
related.
When people do not understand something, it makes them uncomfortable and can lead to denial
and resentment. Preventing this history from being shared prevents the comprehension of an
entire sub-demographic of Americans.
The rhetoric around African American culture among many white Americans has been of
distaste and confusion. Often, African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is labeled as
“ghetto,” or those using it are considered uneducated. The lack of understanding that this is a
dialect and follows its own rules and syntax within the English language creates a foundation of
prejudice in American society. Although it is heavily judged by many white Americans, AAVE
has also been extremely appropriated.
Appropriation can be found in music, media, common sayings, and more. This paradox of
regarding AAVE as “broken English” while simultaneously stealing it, unfortunately, is a
common theme regarding white perceptions of Black art, culture, and innovation.
Efforts that have been made to create widespread awareness about African American history,
such as the 1619 Project, have been met with criticism as well. The 1619 Project grapples with
the unknown of many African Americans’ lineage in the United States. It seeks to bring together
the stories of the oppressed to create awareness of injustices committed against them.
“Listening to the podcast episodes of the 1619 Project had not only opened my eyes to the
significant advances made by African Americans (e.g., Music contributions and our involvement
in fighting for universal healthcare), while also providing us with an unadulterated history of
African Americans (e.g., Lincoln’s meeting with Black leaders, redlining, the inability to
generate generational wealth, and the exclusion/abuse in medical situations),” Tavi Stallings,
sophomore at LVC, said.
While historical institutions are under attack for spreading awareness and information about
African American history, so are colleges and universities. African American Literature is the
only course at LVC that focuses specifically on the contributions of African Americans to media
and culture. The future of these courses at all schools is in question, with the fear that they may
be eliminated or restricted. When students were asked what they thought the future of courses
like this could look like, there were varying responses.
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Shanaman said. “But I am scared. I don’t think it is just African
American history; it’s all our history. The history of America is not racialized, to racialize it is to
pretend that we can separate African American history from other history, and we cannot.
Rewriting history at all is always dangerous and it will change the way that generations view the
world. I think that we will become more divided and less caring. I hope that something happens
and soon to stop the hatred that is coming from the White House.”
It is hard to predict how these proposed policies will impact the United States’ history. Some
see this as an opportunity for colleges to ramp up their African American studies and make more
of an impact in those spaces.
“Within our class, I see the rewriting of African American history in a way that describes the
advances of African Americans/contributions to American society by African Americans and
that ensures that the history of African Americans is portrayed in a way that is truthful and not
whitewashed,” Stallings said.
Uncertainties loom regarding the representation of African American culture and history. The
White House is actively trying to dismantle institutions that are dedicated to providing resources
to educate everyone on these important stories and individuals of the nation’s past. As this
progresses, it is important to stay informed because African American history is American
history.