Just like Sunday dinner: Celebrating the Black experience and Black arts

I credit my affinity for Black history to my parents. Growing up, they would often come home with new books for my older brother and me to read, and we’d write reports on the subject matter. We had discussions as we sat at the dinner table about what we’d learned in school, and my parents shared their own stories with us.

My parents first met in elementary school in Newark, N.J., in the late 1960s. Throughout my childhood, I was given a front-row seat to their memories and experiences: Their recollections of the Newark race riots, their introduction to and later involvement with the Nation of Islam, and the profound impact that The Nation — as well as the Black Panther Party — had on their communities.

It was through these conversations that I was able to make the connection between textbook lessons and real-life events.

The ah-ha! moment

History, Black history — our history — became palpable. It became more than learning about “way back when” and hearing stories of people I’d never known.

I had an ah ha! moment: History is rarely made by those seeking to go down in history books; it’s made by everyday people simply living their lives.

Black history epitomizes this notion. The idea that our mere existence, and audacity to want to live our lives without restraint, was so radical in and of itself, to the point it’d be forever etched in history. Our rich history was built, and continues to build on, the backs and shoulders of people simply living their truths and sharing their stories, not unlike the way it was done at my dinner table growing up.

Black History Month gives us all the privilege to sit at the dinner table together and share these stories.

To read Quianna's full story, visit the American Family Insurance Medium page. 

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About the American Family Insurance Group
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, American Family Insurance has been serving customers since 1927. We inspire, protect and restore dreams through our insurance products, exceptional service from our agency owners and employees, community investment and creative partnerships to address societal challenges. We act on our belief in diversity and inclusion by constantly evolving to meet customer needs and preferences. American Family Insurance group is the nation’s 12th-largest property/casualty insurance group, ranking No. 301 on the Fortune 500 list. The group sells American Family-brand products, primarily through exclusive agency owners in 19 states. The American Family Insurance group also includes CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance, The General, Homesite and Main Street America Insurance. Across these companies the group has nearly 13,000 employees nationwide.