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I knew this visit would be moving, powerful and a reminder to never take aspects in my life such as freedom and equality for granted. Right past that sign is a huge piece of artwork that spanned across much of the room. It was a sculpture that looked like a mural in the shape of America where people were helping to pull each other up. The artwork spoke volumes about being there for one another and that we are all in this thing called life together. When I looked at this artwork I thought about one of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther King, which stated: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

I asked my dear friend Titus O’Neil what Black History month meant to him. He said: “Black History Month was spearheaded by one of my fraternity brothers Dr. Carter G. Woodson. I’m proud to have a month that acknowledges the significant contributions to our world, but my honest feeling on the month is that Black History is American history and world history and that should be told every day year because we live life as black men and women 365 days a year. Our culture has such a deep history and huge influence and I’m so very proud of my roots and how far we’ve come.”

As myself and the other WWE Superstars walked through the museum, we were in awe. But there were also images I saw that made me sad. We were reminded of a lot of oppression and extreme hardship people endured for us to get to where we are today. If it wasn’t for so many brave people standing up, speaking out and fighting for equal rights, we might not have all of the luxuries of freedom that we have today. So many unsung people fought for us to be able to live together in harmony no matter how different we are from one another. Different is good and being different is what makes us stand out in the world.