Have you ever considered that there’s a significant portion of modern United States history that’s overlooked in our public school curriculum? Specifically, the history of the Negro in the United States. This neglect has become apparent through the remarks of school children over the past few years. The urgency of this gap was underscored on Emancipation Day, August 4th, when a 17-year-old boy, who had attended the Moberly public schools, asked his father how so many Negroes came to be here.

“How came they to drift this way?” the boy asked in genuine curiosity.

The father replied, “Why, the white folks shipped them from Africa for slaves and made them work like a farmer does his horses, whenever he wanted them.”

The boy, visibly astonished, further inquired if some Negroes were still held as slaves in the South.

“No sir,” answered the father. “That is what they are celebrating today – the anniversary of their freedom.”

This conversation highlights a glaring omission in our history education. There is a vital need for a dedicated section in our history books covering the Negro’s journey to the United States, their labor under servitude, their emancipation, and other significant aspects of their lives here. If our schools do not provide this information and parents fail to educate their children about the history of the Negro, these young minds will eventually begin to wonder why so many Negroes came to this country in the first place.

It is crucial to fill this gap in our educational system to ensure that every student understands the full, unvarnished story of our nation’s past, including the contributions and experiences of the Negro community.