I think a lot of these historical accounts of racism and discrimination in America tend to get swept under the rug all too easily. People insist that racism is no longer an issue, yet our extensive history and current events tell another story. Because our history is excused or not discussed, it threatens to repeat itself. If we forget the Japanese internment camps, we are in danger of committing the same atrocities to other ethnic groups with no recourse. If we choose to ignore the Tulsa massacre of 1921 and the ever-growing history of violence against black individuals, we will continue to see violence against black bodies. 

Race relations today are often viewed with a very narrow lens and without context. History is of the utmost importance not only for the sake of remembering these atrocities, but also for understanding why certain social issues persist today. For example, if one ignores the history of redlining, white flight, and the Great Migration, one fails to recognize why certain neighborhoods on the "wrong" side of town are predominantly black. Therefore, we need to keep these events in mind. We need to stop pretending today's race issues exist in a bubble.