The voices we uplift, the perspectives we share, the shoes we walk in; these matter. As we enter Black History Month, this lesson is more important than ever. For years, the stories of Black individuals, communities, and peoples have been controlled by those on the outside. The words of figures like Martin Luther King Jr. have been manipulated and taken out of context to give a false impression of their meaning. Common occurrences like publicized lynchings have been omitted from school curricula, skewing our understanding of the depth and barbarity of white supremacy. This comes at a cost.

If partial truth and outright lie are the foundation upon which we build our movements for justice, the same unjust structure will remain, merely with a different facade. Positive change cannot occur unless it is driven by fact and truth.

The trail of justice extends long into the past and far into the future. Those who pursue it use history as their guide, learning what starts and maintains oppression and working to dismantle it. What if the wrong voices have become the storytellers? What if the information they’ve learned has been falsified? That trail of justice running from the past to the future disappears and history repeats itself, oppression and all.

This is why we must remember the storyteller and the power of their truth. Listening to Black voices — families, individuals, communities, leaders — from the past and present, will guide our actions into the future we all dream of — one where “freedom and justice for all” rings true for everyone. 

As we embrace this age of learning and listening, we also approach the ten-year anniversary of the Syrian revolution. We can’t help but wonder how this decade will be written. Who will be the one to write it, and how can it capture the nuance of each individual’s experience? 

Looking to the centuries-long pursuit of Black justice, we see an equal need to tell of the pain, loss, and trauma as we do the joys and life in the face of it. After all, it is this complex remembrance that will write the story of truth. And when guided by truth, justice will continue on a forward path. Today and every day, we stand with our brothers and sisters across the globe, fighting for the freedom to live safely and fully. Our ears are open and our hearts are with you.