I am a perpetual learner. Even though I read approximately 12 books a year, there is more information to learn than I can physically consume. The Internet and audio books have afforded me more opportunity to learn, but even with all my efforts, I still remain limited in my knowledge.
I had never heard of the Tulsa, Oklahoma Back Wall Street riot of 1921, until President Biden's visit there. In school I learned about the KKK (Ku-Klux-Klan), a noted southern racist hate group who tried to suppress the success of blacks following the Civil War, and recently learned how those prevailing attitudes fueled the destruction of an entire community. I never knew to what extent hate was so destructive. I watched the documentary of the massacre that took approximately 300 lives and the livelihood of a 10-block neighborhood that was burnt to the ground and wondered why I had never heard of this (https://youtu.be/oJbF9SGB3Yk). I also was angered that the spark that began the riot was a newspaper article spreading lies about a young black man raping a white girl in an elevator. I find it incredibly telling how the news article was destroyed and no one was held accountable for the resulting riot. The young man was released as the girl would not testify and there was no evidence against him. 100 years later America is still reeling from the 2020-2021 riots that have taken thousands of lives, are minimized by the media, and continue to be fueled by slander. It will be interesting how the history books will record these times. Will the details be censored like Black Wall Street? Will no one be held accountable for the loss of lives and livelihood? Will we not talk about this blemish in history and not learn from our past only to ensure we will repeat it again? I pray not.
When we stop learning - we choose to remain ignorant.