What Should We Do With Our Past?
History lives in the present, whether we acknowledge it or not. The past shapes our neighborhoods, our institutions, our opportunities, and our assumptions about what's possible. Yet we often treat history as something distant and settled rather than recognizing how previous choices continue to influence current realities. This creates a tension between wanting to move forward and needing to address unresolved legacies.
The question becomes especially urgent when dealing with histories of harm, injustice, or trauma. Some argue that dwelling on past wrongs prevents progress, while others insist that genuine healing requires honest reckoning with what came before. How do we balance acknowledgment with action, memory with hope for change?
Our conversation will explore:
What does it mean to inherit a history you didn't choose?
Can a society repair what it refuses to face?
How do we hold the past without being held back by it?
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What Should We Do With Our Past?
History lives in the present, whether we acknowledge it or not. The past shapes our neighborhoods, our institutions, our opportunities, and our assumptions about what's possible. Yet we often treat history as something distant and settled rather than recognizing how previous choices continue to influence current realities. This creates a tension between wanting to move forward and needing to address unresolved legacies.
The question becomes especially urgent when dealing with histories of harm, injustice, or trauma. Some argue that dwelling on past wrongs prevents progress, while others insist that genuine healing requires honest reckoning with what came before. How do we balance acknowledgment with action, memory with hope for change?
Our conversation will explore:
What does it mean to inherit a history you didn't choose?
Can a society repair what it refuses to face?
How do we hold the past without being held back by it?
History lives in the present, whether we acknowledge it or not. The past shapes our neighborhoods, our institutions, our opportunities, and our assumptions about what's possible. Yet we often treat history as something distant and settled rather than recognizing how previous choices continue to influence current realities. This creates a tension between wanting to move forward and needing to address unresolved legacies.
The question becomes especially urgent when dealing with histories of harm, injustice, or trauma. Some argue that dwelling on past wrongs prevents progress, while others insist that genuine healing requires honest reckoning with what came before. How do we balance acknowledgment with action, memory with hope for change?
Our conversation will explore:
What does it mean to inherit a history you didn't choose?
Can a society repair what it refuses to face?
How do we hold the past without being held back by it?
Conversation Catalysts
At Premise, a Conversation Catalyst is a short story, essay, film, or poem that sparks reflection and connection. It’s the shared reference point that grounds each session and opens the door to meaningful and deep conversation.
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Preparation: < 2 hours
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We consider how personal experience and systemic analysis reveal the ongoing impact of historical injustice.
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
Baldwin's powerful essay weaves together personal narrative and social criticism, examining his relationship with his stepfather against the backdrop of racial violence in 1940s America. He explores how individual anger and family dynamics cannot be separated from broader systems of oppression, revealing how history shapes intimate relationships and personal identity.
_edited.png)
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Preparation: < 2 hours
We consider how personal experience and systemic analysis reveal the ongoing impact of historical injustice.
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
Baldwin's powerful essay weaves together personal narrative and social criticism, examining his relationship with his stepfather against the backdrop of racial violence in 1940s America. He explores how individual anger and family dynamics cannot be separated from broader systems of oppression, revealing how history shapes intimate relationships and personal identity.
Conversation Catalysts
At Premise, a Conversation Catalyst is a short story, essay, film, or poem that sparks reflection and connection. It’s the shared reference point that grounds each session and opens the door to meaningful and deep conversation.
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Text Set A
Preparation: < 2 hours
Session Description
We consider how personal experience and systemic analysis reveal the ongoing impact of historical injustice.
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
Baldwin's powerful essay weaves together personal narrative and social criticism, examining his relationship with his stepfather against the backdrop of racial violence in 1940s America. He explores how individual anger and family dynamics cannot be separated from broader systems of oppression, revealing how history shapes intimate relationships and personal identity.
Baldwin's analysis illuminates the psychological costs of living with inherited trauma and systemic racism. He asks: How does historical injustice shape individual psychology and family relationships? What is the relationship between personal healing and social change?
"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Coates traces the economic impact of slavery, Jim Crow, and discriminatory policies from Reconstruction through the present day, building a comprehensive argument for reparations. He demonstrates how past policies continue to shape current racial wealth gaps and neighborhood segregation, making the case that addressing historical wrongs requires concrete action rather than symbolic gestures.
Coates's research reveals how policy choices create lasting consequences across generations. He asks: What does true accountability look like when addressing systemic harm? How do we move from acknowledging injustice to repairing its ongoing effects?
Text Set A
Preparation: < 2 hours
Session Description
We consider how personal experience and systemic analysis reveal the ongoing impact of historical injustice.
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
Baldwin's powerful essay weaves together personal narrative and social criticism, examining his relationship with his stepfather against the backdrop of racial violence in 1940s America. He explores how individual anger and family dynamics cannot be separated from broader systems of oppression, revealing how history shapes intimate relationships and personal identity.
Baldwin's analysis illuminates the psychological costs of living with inherited trauma and systemic racism. He asks: How does historical injustice shape individual psychology and family relationships? What is the relationship between personal healing and social change?
"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Coates traces the economic impact of slavery, Jim Crow, and discriminatory policies from Reconstruction through the present day, building a comprehensive argument for reparations. He demonstrates how past policies continue to shape current racial wealth gaps and neighborhood segregation, making the case that addressing historical wrongs requires concrete action rather than symbolic gestures.
Coates's research reveals how policy choices create lasting consequences across generations. He asks: What does true accountability look like when addressing systemic harm? How do we move from acknowledging injustice to repairing its ongoing effects?
Conversation Catalysts
At Premise, a Conversation Catalyst is a short story, essay, film, or poem that sparks reflection and connection. It’s the shared reference point that grounds each session and opens the door to meaningful and deep conversation.
More conversation catalysts coming soon!
Text Set B
Preparation: < 2 hours
Session Description
At Premise, we’re always growing. Our sessions are shaped not only by the enduring questions we ask but also by the ideas and contributions of our participants and Chapter Leaders. We are a constructivist learning community, which means we build our learning experiences together.
More text sets for this question are on the way. Each one will follow our approach: short enough to prepare in under three hours, substantial and thought-provoking enough to spark deep discussion, and accessible to a wide audience.
In the meantime, we ’d love to hear from you. If you have a suggestion for a story, essay, film, or poem that belongs here, please share it in the section below.
Text Set A
Preparation: < 2 hours
Session Description
We consider how personal experience and systemic analysis reveal the ongoing impact of historical injustice.
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin
Baldwin's powerful essay weaves together personal narrative and social criticism, examining his relationship with his stepfather against the backdrop of racial violence in 1940s America. He explores how individual anger and family dynamics cannot be separated from broader systems of oppression, revealing how history shapes intimate relationships and personal identity.
Baldwin's analysis illuminates the psychological costs of living with inherited trauma and systemic racism. He asks: How does historical injustice shape individual psychology and family relationships? What is the relationship between personal healing and social change?
"The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Coates traces the economic impact of slavery, Jim Crow, and discriminatory policies from Reconstruction through the present day, building a comprehensive argument for reparations. He demonstrates how past policies continue to shape current racial wealth gaps and neighborhood segregation, making the case that addressing historical wrongs requires concrete action rather than symbolic gestures.
Coates's research reveals how policy choices create lasting consequences across generations. He asks: What does true accountability look like when addressing systemic harm? How do we move from acknowledging injustice to repairing its ongoing effects?