Rashida Tlaib: “Black history is American history. As Black History Month begins, all across the country we see radical, rightwing…”

“Black history is American history. As Black History Month begins, all across the country we see radical, rightwing elected officials attempting to whitewash American history and ban Black history from being taught in our classrooms. This is, Mr. Speaker, unmasked white supremacy at its core. You cannot teach the truth about American history without Black history. This should be alarming to many of us in this Chamber, especially as we fight for a more inclusive multiracial democracy. I am reminded of the need for Congress to pass critical legislation like Congressman Bowman's African American History Act. It is now more important than ever and very timely that, again, we make sure that we teach our history accurately. The truth must always be taught and should inspire all of us to continue to march for freedom, equity, and justice for all in the spirit of our civil rights leaders and our social justice seekers who came before us. We cannot, Mr. Speaker, rob our children of learning the role of systemic racism in our American history and how it continues to impact the lives of many of our neighbors across the country. This is how we support our communities to gain unity, to embrace diversity. It is critical that we tell the truth about our Nation's past, and that includes reckoning with our history of racism, enslavement, segregation, and redlining in our communities, and even now with the Black Lives Matter movement in our country. This painting, Mr.…”