Empowering a New Generation of Historians: The Personal Journey of Preserving Black History
The traditional approach to history preservation is undergoing a significant transformation. "When I grew up, the preservation of history was a historian's job, but now we want to teach young students how to record history," notes activist DeRay Mckesson (NEWS8000). This shift represents more than just a change in methodology—it embodies a movement to democratize the documentation of historical narratives, particularly within Black history education.
The transformation comes at a critical juncture. In January 2026, as the nation observes Black History Month, educators and activists are responding to challenges that threaten to undermine decades of progress. President Donald Trump began his second term by claiming some African American history lessons are designed to indoctrinate people into hating the country, according to NEWS8000. Such rhetoric has created an atmosphere where even supportive voices have become more cautious. "States and cities are nervous about retribution from the White House, so even the good people are just quieter now," Mckesson told NEWS8000.
The administration's stance has manifested in concrete actions. The federal government has dismantled Black history exhibits at national parks, including the removal of a display on slavery in Philadelphia in December 2025, as reported by NEWS8000. These developments have galvanized educators committed to preserving comprehensive historical narratives.
For Jarvis Givens, a professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, the current climate reinforced his commitment to honoring Black history's legacy. When Trump's executive orders against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were issued in 2025, Givens was teaching in London, where Black History Month is observed in October. "Watching Trump's 'attack' cemented the idea," Givens explained to NEWS8000. "I wanted to kind of devote my time while on leave to writing a book that would honor the legacy that gave us Black History Month."
That legacy traces back to Carter G. Woodson, whose vision continues to inspire contemporary educators. "Born in 1875 to formerly enslaved parents, Woodson was among the first generation of Black Americans not assigned to bondage at birth," NEWS8000 reports. Woodson's philosophy emphasized empowering younger generations to become historians capable of distinguishing fact from fiction—a principle that resonates powerfully today.
Teaching Students to Become Historians
The contemporary approach to Black history education focuses on equipping students with the tools to document and analyze historical events themselves. "The goal is to teach what Woodson believed—that younger generations can become historians who can discern fact from fiction," according to NEWS8000. This methodology transforms students from passive recipients of historical knowledge into active participants in its preservation and interpretation.
Mckesson and his colleagues have taken concrete steps to advance this vision. "This is why we are working with more than 150 teachers around the country on a Black History Month curriculum to just ensure that young people continue to learn about Black history in a way that is intentional and thoughtful," he explained to NEWS8000. The initiative represents a grassroots response to institutional challenges, creating networks of educators committed to comprehensive historical education.
The curriculum emphasizes primary sources and rigorous research methodologies. "There is nothing 'indoctrinating' about facts that are based on primary sources that are highly researched," Mckesson stated to NEWS8000, directly addressing criticisms of Black history education. This focus on evidence-based teaching aims to transcend political debates by grounding historical narratives in documented realities.
Beyond factual accuracy, the educational approach seeks to highlight shared humanity across historical divides. "At the end of the day, what the story should actually tell people is that we're far more alike than we are different," Mckesson told NEWS8000. This perspective frames Black history not as a separate narrative but as an integral component of a collective human story.
Preserving Progress Against Potential Rollbacks
The current efforts to preserve and teach Black history occur against a backdrop of concern about potential regression. "It's a mistake to take for granted the gains that have been made and yet not to be fully aware of the danger that progress can be stopped and that the price people have paid could be rolled back," warns an analysis in the Montreal Gazette. This awareness of historical fragility informs the urgency behind contemporary preservation efforts.
The Montreal Gazette further notes that Black History Month celebrations must connect to practical applications: "One of the lessons we can take away from Black History Month and the importance of celebrating it is it has to be tied not only to the esoteric, but to the lessons people can take away from it to resist and to maintain progress." This perspective emphasizes that historical knowledge serves not merely academic purposes but provides frameworks for continued social advancement.
For educators like Givens, the commitment to preserving Black history represents both professional responsibility and personal mission. His decision to document this legacy while witnessing challenges to diversity initiatives demonstrates how individual scholars are responding to broader societal tensions. The timing of his work—coinciding with heightened scrutiny of historical narratives—underscores the dynamic relationship between academic pursuits and contemporary politics.
Building Resilient Historical Narratives
The approach advocated by Mckesson, Givens, and their colleagues represents more than resistance to current political pressures. It embodies a long-term strategy for ensuring historical narratives remain resilient through changing political climates. By distributing the responsibility for historical documentation across generations and communities, they create multiple repositories of knowledge less vulnerable to institutional censorship.
This methodology also acknowledges the evolving nature of historical understanding. Rather than presenting history as a fixed narrative, it embraces the ongoing process of discovery, interpretation, and reinterpretation that characterizes scholarly historical work. Students trained to evaluate primary sources and distinguish reliable evidence from speculation develop critical thinking skills applicable beyond historical study.
The personal journeys of individuals committed to preserving Black history illuminate the human dimension of what might otherwise be viewed as abstract academic debates. Their experiences demonstrate how scholarly pursuits intersect with civic engagement, personal identity, and collective memory. Through their efforts, Black History Month transcends its ceremonial status to become a living practice of historical documentation and interpretation.
As Black History Month 2026 continues, these educators' work exemplifies Carter G. Woodson's vision of history as a tool for empowerment rather than merely a subject of study. By teaching students to become historians themselves, they ensure that future generations will possess both the knowledge of past struggles and the skills to document their own era's contributions to the ongoing story of human progress.