Using a Voice to Shed Light on Black History Month

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Natalie Laurent

The traveling museum True Black History stopped through Northeast Community College Tuesday, Feb. 1. Based in Detroit, Mich., The artifacts shown were only a fraction of what the museum has to offer. The traveling museum has been up and running since 2010. Their main purpose is restoring facts about Black History and why the past is important to shed light on.

Why is Black History Month important?

“It is important to show Black History more in schools because in a typical U.S. curriculum we are taught about slavery, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. and that’s it,” said Janay Craft.

Majority of people learn Black History through friends and family. The museum showcases that there is so much more than the typical Black History topics brought up in school.

“Black curriculum does not get brought up in schools as much as it should,” said Arial Richardson. “We bring these museums to places all around the states for people to get a deeper understanding of who we are.”

The museum has a vast array of artifacts dating back to the 1700s. Many artifacts at the museum are either donated or bought from other artifact collectors. The importance of preserving history and showcasing it for all is a way to spread knowledge on what Black people faced being brought up in a society of division.

“We just want to show people how beautiful Black History really is,” Richardson said.

Black History Month is important to acknowledge because of all the history left unsaid.

“It’s important that we travel around with these museums to preserve these artifacts and to show people with African decent, that we as people have value,” Craft said.

For more information on True Black History Museum visit their website, www.trueblackhistory.com or follow on Instagram @tbhmuseum.