In 1926, a historian looked at the American narrative and realized something sobering: Black people were present in every chapter of this nation’s development, yet largely absent from the textbooks. So he decided to do something about it. This 26th day of Black History Month, we are not simply celebrating a tradition. We are marking one hundred years of narrative correction. One hundred years of saying: We will not be edited out.

On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City. And every February 22 becomes a day not only to remember how he died — but how he grew. Because one of the most powerful aspects of Malcolm X’s life was not simply his boldness. It was his evolution.