More Equitable Society Depends on Fuller Truth of U.S. History

Reckoning With Our Past

On Saturday, July 3rd, men from around the United States joined in a council sponsored by Ohio Illuman called Reckoning With Our Past 2021. This is the second year we convened a council around the topic of acknowledging and transforming racial pain in our country. We were led in our program by Ohio Illuman Members Mick Owens and Bob Farmerie. Below, Mick shares his thoughts about the importance of confronting our past in order to move forward as a country.

Brothers,

In his op-ed To Build a More Perfect Union, Teach Students the Truth, Drew Ramsey thoughtfully addressed the very controversial and important issue of what should be taught about the history of race in our country. Is it better to inform students of this topic, a topic that may make some feel uncomfortable, even guilty? Or should we avoid informing students and continue to perpetuate blindness and denial of history. If we want a more equitable society, we absolutely need to understand the fuller truth of US history. Students need to learn how all Americans have treated each other and of how we want to respect each other in the future.

Most adults, including myself, grew up learning an American history that failed to address “off-limit topics.” This was not my fault, not the fault of most teachers and adults, but probably was the fault of some historians. These omissions of some critical facts from our American history have led us to today, a more divided country because of such a limited grasp of who we have been as a nation. Do we have the courage and wisdom to reckon with our past? We can still learn to become more responsible to each other by knowing where we have come from, giving our children more hope for where we want to go in the future of our country. The time is now.

📬 Mick Owens
Member, Ohio Chapter of Illuman