In the early 1960's, a wave of feeling knows as "black pride" swept across America. It started when black leaders realized that far more than legal rights had been repressed for 200 years. Everything about the black culture, from hair texture to history, had taken a back seat to that of the white majority.
Over time, a dramatic rediscovery of the black heritage occurred. Textbook publishers issued new editions that for the first time included the stories of black Americans: a soldier who rowed George Washington across the Delaware, a scientist who perfected the process of blood transfusion, an educator who founded black colleges.
Black pride reminded all Americans that a minority race had made giant contributions in many fields. Black people encountered a heritage they had known little about. Heroes were uncovered. Blacks everywhere began to see the past in a new light.
Need for a Pep Talk
There was a time when the Israelites, too, desperately needed a new look at the past. Their ancestors had also been torn from home, beaten, and dragged off in chains to serve as slaves in a foreign country. In Babylon, a new generation grew up knowing little of the Israelite past: the covenant with God, the promised line of kings, the magnificent temple in Jerusalem.
When captive Israelites were finally allowed to return home, they found a pile of rubble. In Israel's Golden Age, |
