By: Michael Moore
I’m Trying To Learn! Imagine an America where the brilliance of African Americans wasn’t systemically silenced, ignored, or stolen. A nation that didn’t shackle its future by chaining its most innovative minds to the weight of racism and inequality. If history had taken a more just path, America could have been not just a great nation — but the greatest, by far.
From the cotton fields to the tech labs, African Americans have been the bedrock of American innovation. The nation was literally built on their backs — through forced labor, yes — but also through raw creativity, resilience, and genius. From traffic lights (Garrett Morgan), to home security systems (Marie Van Brittan Brown), to rock and roll (Little Richard), African Americans have continually shaped America’s infrastructure, safety, and culture. Yet their contributions are often minimized, whitewashed, or buried altogether.
While America wrangles with racial inequities at home, many so-called “Third World” countries are making leaps — not because they have more resources, but because they empower their innovators, regardless of class or color. Places like Rwanda, Ghana, and parts of Southeast Asia are tapping into the raw intelligence of their people, building smart cities, advanced tech hubs, and green infrastructure. Why? Because they understand that innovation knows no race — only opportunity.
If African Americans had been allowed full participation in the American dream from day one, there’s little doubt the U.S. would already be living in a more advanced, equitable future. Imagine the untapped Black brilliance that could have revolutionized education, healthcare, city planning, or AI development. And yet, even today, many of America’s brightest African American minds are forced to fight for a seat at the table. Instead of investing in this intellectual goldmine, America continues to overlook, underfund, and suppress.
Which raises the question: When will America stop hoarding its Black genius and start exporting it to uplift the world? What if African American scientists, educators, engineers, artists, and entrepreneurs were empowered — even incentivized — to lead development projects abroad? To help build sustainable communities in the Caribbean, in Africa, in Latin America, and even in struggling parts of the U.S.?
What if America saw its Black citizens not as a threat, but as a strategic asset to global progress? It’s time to shift the narrative. It’s time for America to not just apologize for its past, but to invest in the future African Americans have always been capable of leading. A future that could elevate not only this country, but the world. Because suppressed brilliance doesn’t disappear — it just finds new soil to grow.
