Thinking Deeply about History — New Mind Education

source: https://coastalreview.org/2022/10/1898-wilmington-massacre-remembrance-nov-3-13/

Living and studying in another country causes students to constantly wrestle with what they know, what they don’t, as well as what they don’t know they don’t know. It is quite the mental exercise and can cause the students to reevaluate their thinking about not only their new country, but also the one they grew up in. This realization is an important part of growing up and becoming an adult.

History, and what we have been taught about history, complicates this cultural understanding process even further. How does our cultural lens affect our understanding of historical events?

On a recent trip to Wilmington, North Carolina for spring break, UPP students visited the 1898 Monument and Memorial Park, which commemorates the coup d’etat in which an armed white mob violently overthrew the legally elected bi-racial government of Wilmington and ushered in a long history of racial segregation which persisted into the 20th century. Most historians in the US consider this event to be the only successful coup d’etat in the history of the US, yet many US students don’t know about or haven’t learned of this historic event. In fact, the monument was only erected in 2008.

This short history lesson, during an otherwise typical college spring break vacation full of beach trips, shopping, and dining, allowed the students to contemplate how we all learn about history. One student commented that she was moved to do some research about the history of their home country. They wondered what difficult history had also been hidden there. She said, “I will try to think deeper about history and policy.”

Learning difficult and complex history can help us evaluate our beliefs and live better lives. As Maya Angelou, an American poet and civil rights activist said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” UPP students have the opportunity to learn, grow, and do better by learning history and reflecting on how it shapes their values and beliefs.