An eight-grade middle school student was trying to figure out who to do his project on for a social studies class as part of February being Black History Month.

Knowing that the boy, an African American, loved sports, the teacher suggested the name of Jackie Robinson.

“Who is Jackie Robinson?,” the boy immediately asked.

Somewhere, the late great baseball and societal icon is shedding a tear and shaking his head in dismay.

Don’t blame his being unaware of Robinson on the teen. Rather, blame it on those adults in his life for failing to enlighten him.

History — of all kinds, in all different affects of life, in this country and the world — is, sadly, not being taught anymore. In fact, such instruction is greatly discouraged. The reason is the subject is not deemed to be relevant. History to many 
is what happened four days ago, and ancient history is two weeks past. Those with that opinion are unaware of the saying, which has much historical support, “Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.”

There is a lot of history, especially concerning African Americans, with the Browns. The club is steeped in it. Getting to interview Bill Willis, who, with teammate Marion Motley, broke for good the color barrier not just in football but all of pro sports coming out of World War II when they played together with the Browns on Sept. 6, 1946 (over eight months, in fact, before Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947), was one of my greatest professional thrills.

More on history in my next post.

Steve King