I’ve written before about why Milliken’s Bend was forgotten almost as soon as it happened. I’ve written about why it is important, and I’ve written about why we must Remember. But I could not have anticipated that Milliken’s Bend would be in danger of being deliberately erased in our own times.

American history, writ large, is under attack. The history of minority groups in our country is under assault, and if not erased entirely, then obscured and minimized by deception, lies, and fabrications. Truth no longer matters to some, especially those who are in power.

Milliken’s Bend is a critical story in the history of this nation, and the Civil War in particular. Black men actively fought for their freedom. They forced the issue of abolition long before the Lincoln government made it part of war strategy. The success of Union arms – in part due to the more than 179,000 Black men who served in the Union Army – paved the way for the passage of the Reconstruction Amendments, and enabled a brief moment when it seemed that nearly anything could be possible for the newly-freed – including election to Congress.

But what if – as some are attempting to do – Milliken’s Bend and other stories like it – are publicly erased once again?

We would not know:

• how Blacks and whites came together to fight for personal liberty, national freedom, and unity
• the courage of poorly trained former slaves, determined to fight for their freedom
• how this small fight influenced public opinion, both North and South – about the fighting qualities of African American soldiers
• the role Milliken’s Bend played in the breakdown of prisoner exchanges
• about the treatment and even execution of Union prisoners-of-war at the hands of their Confederate captors
• how Confederate generals issued orders to show “no quarter” on the battlefield

This weekend we observe the anniversary of the fighting at Milliken’s Bend. Pause a moment to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of all who fought there that day, North or South, Black or white. Remember the role this battle played in the critical fight for American freedom. Tell someone about it. Learn more about it. Find out more about the U.S. Colored Troops in other battles of the war. And be grateful that at this moment, this story is still being told.