Vanessa Blacknall-Jamison, Her Many Voices Board Member, leads Theo EJ Wilson in a discussion on the origin of Black History Month, tracing it from Carter G. Woodson’s Negro History Week near Abraham Lincoln’s birthday to its expansion after the civil rights era. He explains what it means to be in a Black historical family, citing lineages like Douglass, Tubman, Shabazz, King, and his own connection through his grandfather, Tuskegee Airman Theobald Wilson. Wilson argues attempts to erase Black history will fail because knowledge is widely accessible, and critiques anti-“woke” politics, DEI rollbacks, and book bans. He links Black and Indigenous histories through shared resistance, colonization, extraction, and decolonization, emphasizing accurate storytelling that contextualizes divisions such as slavery among some tribes and Buffalo Soldiers’ role. He recommends restoring banned books, centering displaced voices, and using the 1619 Project’s rigor against efforts like PragerU/1776 Project, framing Black and Indigenous history as resilience, community wisdom, and a guide to resisting tyranny.
00:00 Welcome and Setup
00:49 Origins of Black History Month
01:36 Growing Up in Black History
03:28 Can Black History Be Erased
05:31 Black and Indigenous Parallels
07:42 Why the Right Targets History
10:16 DEI Backlash and Reality Check
12:29 Reclaiming Education with 1619
16:00 Indigenous History and Who Tells It
18:25 Responsible Storytelling Together
21:34 Protecting History in Practice
23:45 Final Reflections and Sign Off
Her Many Voices Gaia Gossip programs amplifies climate solutions and empowers community connection for the betterment of Mother Earth.
Host Theo Wilson powerfully blends artistic expression with a profound commitment to social justice. As a founding member of the National Poetry Slam-winning Denver Slam Nuba team and Executive Director of Shop Talk Live, Inc., he inspires community dialogue and healing. Theo is the author of \"The Law of Action,\" and was launched nationally with his widely viewed TED Talk, \"A Black Man Goes Undercover in the Alt Right\". Theo is a recognized media personality and the host of The History Channel’s \"I Was There\" and a recognized media personality.