Everything that is happening NOW is based on what happened THEN. If we do not study the real history and rely on the history that has been taught in schools, we will never advance. If we continue attempts to solve racism based on a limited window (the now) and no one is willing to face and discuss the history of  THEN, we will never move forward as a nation. The study of history is crucial to facing how we got to where we are today. As long as people refuse to face the realities of US history, we will never genuinely get to a presence of equality.