There’s no shortage of terrible things to think about. Our history — everyone’s history — is full of them. This July marked 100 years since the start of the Red Summer of 1919, where race riots broke out in cities all over the United States. September will mark two years since Hurricane Maria devastated much of Puerto Rico. Eighteen years since the Sept. 11 attacks. Eighty years since the start of World War II.
And this month — August — marks 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were brought to what would become the United States. It’s a moment that many are trying to reckon with right now. But what do we call it?
Some people have been using the term “commemoration.” But commemorate sometimes has a positive connotation — it’s often used interchangeably with “celebrate” or “honor.” (We’ve even noticed “celebration” used on occasion.)
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