It is ironic and more than a bit frightening that in this Black History Month, 2026, those who claim to want to “make America great” are actively working to erase the numerous contributions made to this country by people of color and to downplay the enduring effects of slavery.
A nation does not achieve greatness by denying past evils. Confronting the reality of those evils and striving to overcome them is a fundamental step on the path to greatness.
Nazism was one of the most malevolent movements to come out of the twentieth – or any – century. We know the horrors it spawned. Modern Germans, though, have looked it straight in the eye and proclaimed that it will never again take root in their country. They have not tried to deny it or whitewash it. They deliberately keep the reminders of that pernicious doctrine alive. They have enacted explicit laws that prohibit the public denial, approval of or downplaying of the Holocaust; they have built memorials such as the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe and, perhaps most importantly, they have incorporated extensive Holocaust education into the curricula of their schools. Thus, Germans born long after the end of World War II are well aware of Hitler’s shameful legacy. There is even a word for this sustained effort: Vergangenheitsbewaltigung (coming to terms with the past).
Contrast these efforts to the rewriting of history going on in this country today. How sad if we fail to come to terms with our own past. Ours has always been a nation of contradictions, born of an overwhelming hunger for freedom but denying that freedom to an entire race. Consider again the Nazi regime. It lasted less than 10 years, yet the modern German nation is fully cognizant of its danger should its seeds find fertile soil again. By contrast, slavery lasted for hundreds of years in this country and was ended only after one of the bloodiest wars in history, yet there are those who would have us believe its legacy is minimal. How preposterous! We cannot erase its effects easily or quickly, and certainly not by ignoring them.
The United States has proven that it can dominate the world stage because of its military might and vast wealth, yet how has that truly benefited any but the top 1 percent or so of our citizens? The people of color in this nation still fare significantly worse than their white counterparts in any measure of health care, housing, income and education. This disparity, slavery’s legacy, blocks our path to greatness.
At the same time, this racial disparity presents a tremendous opportunity for growth and the development of moral leadership, if we are able to overcome it. The teachings of the Baha’i faith tell us that this country is destined to lead all nations, not materially but spiritually. This leadership, however, is contingent on overcoming our long-standing racial issues.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, racism affects everyone raised in this country and, as the Baha’i National governing body says in The Vision of Race Unity: America’s Most Challenging Issue, “It infects the hearts of both White and Black Americans. Since without conscious, deliberate, and sustained effort, no one can remain unaffected by its corrosive influence, both groups must realize that such a problem can neither easily nor immediately be resolved. . . Both groups must understand that no real change will come about without close association, fellowship and friendship among diverse people. Diversity of color, nationality and cultures enhances the human experience and should never be made a barrier to harmonious relationships, to friendship, or to marriage.”
We know that government cannot legislate morality; neither can it force us to forget our past without our consent. After all, as writer Thomas Chatterton Williams says, “The story of slavery and its abolition is ultimately one of irrepressible human dignity. Properly told, it makes reconciliation possible and future injustice avoidable.”
Instead of erasing history, let’s resolve to erase racism! Then, we can finally begin to live up to our national motto: e pluribus unum – out of many, one.
Nancy Flood-Golembeck is a retired teacher and longtime member of the Baha’i faith. In addition to serving on the local Baha’i governing body, she is currently writing a memoir.
