But studying the history of the American church’s compromise with racism should teach us that action is necessary and long overdue. Pioneering black historian John Hope Franklin said, “I think knowing one’s history leads one to act in a more enlightened fashion.” He went on to state, “I cannot imagine how knowing one’s history would not urge one to be an activist.” Those who have humbly submitted to the tutelage of history cannot help but exclaim, “I have to do something!”
