Got History?

Growing up a military brat I had the luxury of learning history by actually going to the history.  I've been to the Berlin wall as it was being torn down (still have a piece).  I've been to plantations in the south in the dead heat of the summer.  I've even been to Dachau, a concentration camp in Germany.  Yes, I was a lucky kid and because of this history class (and geography) was always easy for me.  While all the other kids would stay up studying for the test I would say "oh I've been there I remember my dad telling us about that".  See dad I really was listening under those walkman headphones!

I love history, I love to travel to it, and I love watching it on TV.  Every now and then I get a little more insight on something.  Today I was blown away though.  Today I watched the movie 12 Years a Slave.  I have been waiting for some time to watch it.  I hate movies like this.  Slave movies and Nazi movies make my blood boil.  I normally have to look away or leave the room.  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas I turned off twice.  Too much.  This movie was different.  I found myself angrier than normal as I watched this.  If you haven't seen it I won't give away the movie.  This is the story of Solomon Northup.     Soloman (born in 1808)  was the son of freed slaves.  Soloman was a farmer and master violinist in New York.  He was kidnapped in 1841 by slave traders and found himself in a nightmare.  Soloman (as the title states) was 12 years a slave.  

So I finished the movie and thought "how did this happen"?  Why didn't I ever learn about this stuff?  Why are the history books we learn from in school so "edited".  Yes I said it "edited".  Why do I know about George Washington and the cherry tree (is that story even true), but I don't know about this?  This is our history, it happened.  Does our education system think that turning the other cheek makes it go away?  Here I am at 38 years old and I didn't even know about Soloman Northrup and the many that probably never told their story?  I didn't even know people were kidnapped into slavery (I'm ashamed to be honest).  

How much other history do I not know?   Japanese American history?  Mexican American history?  What else?  When I was in the 7th grade we lived in New Mexico.  That year I had to take New Mexico state history and I learned about the Native Indians of that land.  We went to ruins and learned how New Mexico became a state.  It was wonderful.  Had I not lived in New Mexico though I would have never learned that stuff.  

So how do we change this?  Do we as parents take it upon ourselves and teach our kids the history we want them to know?  I guess we do what my parents did, take them to the history.  Show them monuments, grave sites, battles.  I love to travel and although my kids will be bored at such sites, it's my duty.  It's my duty to never stop learning about where we came from.  We Americans....all of us!  So thanks mom and dad for taking me everywhere.  Teaching me more about history than those lousy books ever did.  I vow to continue the tradition with my kids.  

My dad with my oldest daughter Keiana sitting at the Wesley House in Santa Rosa Beach FL, continuing the tradition.